A Most Dangerous Game
by Portraits4thehopeless
Summary: Working with Poppy Noor wasn't something that McGee wanted to do. Gibbs thought of her like the adult daughter he never got to have. DiNozzo thought she was smoking hot. Abby considered her a friend. Ducky considered her to be sweet. Ziva held her in high regard. But McGee? McGee considered her to be his lying, cheating and manipulative soon-to-be ex wife. McGee/OC. Bits of Tiva.
1. Prolog: Try

**Prolog: Try**

_"…How it all turned to lies  
Sometimes I think that it's better  
to never ask why_

_Where there is desire_  
_There is gonna be a flame_  
_Where there is a flame_  
_Someone's bound to get burned_  
_But just because it burns_  
_Doesn't mean you're gonna die_  
_You gotta get up and try and try and try_  
_You gotta get up and try and try and try_  
_You gotta get up and try and try and try_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_Funny how the heart can be deceiving_  
_More than just a couple times_  
_Why do we fall in love so easy_  
_Even when it's not right_

_Where there is desire_  
_There is gonna be a flame_  
_Where there is a flame_  
_Someone's bound to get burned_  
_But just because it burns_  
_Doesn't mean you're gonna die_  
_You gotta get up and try and try and try_  
_You gotta get up and try and try and try_  
_You gotta get up and try and try and try…"_

**_~ "Try" – Pink_**

Gibbs looked the woman in front of him. She was of average height with milk chocolate brown hair. She had naturally light tan skin that reflected her mixed heritage of a Swedish father and Middle Eastern mother. She certainly was a beautiful woman like her mother from what he could recollect when he'd briefly met the Senator and his wife years ago.

Five bullets to the chest," Gibbs finally said after studying her for a few minutes, "That will put anyone in a navy hospital for a while."

Poppy Noor snorted and smiled, "At least the pain killers were good."

"Stay here and don't move," Gibbs told her as he stood up and took her record. He had several things to discuss with the director before he accepted another member on his team.

Poppy watched him walk away with anxiety. She was scared that he was questioning her clearance to be back in the field. An operation led by Director Jenny Shepard had left Poppy with five bullets in the chest out in the middle of the Afghan dessert. Six months spent undercover in Afghanistan, two months of which she'd spent being tortured and another five months she'd spent in a naval hospital. In total it had amounted to a failed operation that Shepard still blamed her for and being stuck on Gibbs' team felt like a punishment to Poppy. She was right under Shepard's nose to be monitored and supervised. She was also sure that if she put a toe out of line, Shepard would fire her.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Poppy closed her eyes, trying to push away the anxiety that she felt. She could feel like something was going to happen. Living in the dessert had been survival of the fittest and she'd long learned to trust the feelings of instincts. Closing her eyes, Poppy took two deep breaths reminding herself that she was safe in Washington. She wasn't in the dessert looking for a marine that sold off fellow female soldiers to the sex trade.

Turning, her eyes met a face she'd been dreading seeing since she'd agreed to work with Gibbs' team.

* * *

"She's not ready!" Gibbs argued to Jenny Shepard in her office, "She's only had a week of clearance to even set foot in the office."

"Poppy Noor was given field clearance in Germany," Jenny argued back, "Check the report. She ready."

"You're sticking her on my team to cover your ass Jenny. Don't think I don't see it."

"Protecting my ass? What the hell are you talking about Gibbs?"

"You should have pulled Poppy Noor off that suicide mission you sent her long before she was captured. I've read the report. She should have been extracted when she first contacted you about feeling threatened by Jonathan Heritage. You're lucky as hell she wasn't sold into the slave trade."

"She had a mission to complete and she wasn't in any danger," Jenny said with a wave of her hand, "A mission that she failed to carry out by the way! Jonathan Heritage is still at large and wanted. Her mission was to gather information and build a case against."

"Until you decided that you wanted to send her to Afghanistan and take out Heritage in person! You sent her in as a sleeper agent to kill Heritage the first chance that she got."

"Poppy Noor was never in any danger!" Jenny defended loudly trying to speak over Gibbs.

"She wasn't in any danger until Heritage captured her after you refused to extract her when she contacted you stating that Heritage had made her cover. Was she in danger when that son of a bitch tortured her for two months than shot her five times in the chest? Poppy Noor shouldn't even be alive at this very moment. Is that why she's on my team? You're covering your ass and making sure that she's stable after everything that has happened to her? If she cracks she's right under your nose and you can sweep her off to the psych ward with minimal press. That's a great idea," Gibbs snapped sarcastically, "Let's just not forget her husband is on my team too Jennifer."

Shepard sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I put her on your team because I was hoping you might be able to help her Gibbs. She's been through a lot and…she needs to be in a place with a stable environment."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and snorted, "Jen she can be on my team but just for the record, I want you to acknowledge that it is your fault that were in this boat. An experienced agent like you should have known the minute Noor contacted you stating that she was made you should have pulled her. You got greedy and wanted Heritage and ring of involved with the sex trade."

Gibbs didn't wait for a reply before exiting the office to return to his team.

* * *

Anthony DiNozzo followed Ziva David and Tim McGee as he looked at the attractive brunette standing at Gibbs' desk. She was thin but curvy with supple hips and a narrow waist that made her look like Bar Refaeli. Her polished black suit included a tight pencil skirt could make any man's blood run hot and her heels made her look like she'd stepped out of a James Bond flick.

Blue eyes widened when she spotted them walking but she quickly recovered and a mask of indifference covered her face.

"I'm DiNozzo, very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," he charmed pushing his way past Ziva and McGee to the attractive brunette and offering a hand.

She reached out and shook his hand with a sly smile, "Poppy Noor."

"It's very nice to meet you Miss Noor," Tony grinned, "Is there anything we can get you or help you with?"

"I'm waiting for your boss. I'm fine thank you."

"What are you doing here?" a voice blurted out and all three turned to look at an agitated McGee who stood glaring at Poppy.

"I was assigned to your team. Besides, I haven't seen you over a year. It's nice to see you. You look good," Poppy smiled at him.

"You two know each other?" Tony asked confused.

"She's my cheating soon-to-be ex-wife," McGee replied with a look of annoyance, "I've got to go talk to Abby about the evidence we found. Don't be here when I get back Noor."

Poppy stiffened at his words and didn't bother to acknowledge them as Ziva dealt her a nasty look and went to her desk. Tony stood there continuing to look dazed.

"Didn't see that coming," he said before going to his own desk and sitting down.

"Welcome to the team Noor," Gibbs' said walking into the bullpen, "I just spoke to the director and you've been cleared for field duty. There's a desk on the other side of the cubical wall. Take your stuff and go sit over there until I say otherwise. Tony, get McGee and go find our missing witness. "

"On it boss," DiNozzo said hopping up and walking away quickly.

"Yes sir," Poppy replied taking her bag with her. Walking to the other side of the cubical wall, Poppy sat down at the isolated desk and closed her eyes hoping that this wasn't some kind of punishment on both Gibbs and Jenny's part. Working with Tim would already be a punishment enough. Working in solitary confinement would only make it ten times worse. Closing her eyes, Poppy rested the back of her head on the chair and closed her eyes…

_Sixteen year old Poppy Noor smiled as she looked around the science museum. Art had always fascinated her and the fact that the museum was mostly empty made it even better. Most students wanted to be out enjoying their spring break but not her. Escaping to this place had always been her favorite pastime as a child. Being the daughter of a Senator brought along plenty of challenges but in the art museum, she could escape to a whole different world. Walking around the mostly empty exhibit of Monet lilies, Poppy smiled seeing Tim McGee staring at one of the paintings. He was a sweet guy in her English class that was on the nerdy side but was cute in her opinion. He was staring at her favorite painting out of the two hundred and fifty paintings that Monet had done in his life about lilies. Something about the lilies filled Poppy with a sense of calm. However, Tim looked tense and confused. His expression was annoyed and he looked bored. _

_"It's called Blue Water Lilies," she said coming to stand next to him, "It's on loan from some museum in Paris. Monet painted from 1916 to 1919."_

_Tim turned to look at her holding a brochure, "You seem to know a lot about Monet."_

_"He's my favorite," she smiled, "Something about the lilies…it just takes you to another world."_

_"My mom and sister wanted to come. I'm more of math and science person myself."_

_"Math and science are easy. There is only ever one correct answer. In art there is no right answer. Everything can be both right and wrong. You're not supposed to read everything out of the brochure. Just enjoy looking and experiencing the picture. Here give me the brochure," Poppy said taking it from his hands, "Now just stand here and imagine yourself standing in France. You're standing on the edge of the lake gazing at the lilies. Is there a breeze?"_

_"Do you do this to every guy you sit next to in an English class?" _

_"Only the ones who look lost. Where are your sister and mother?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"So you have nowhere pressing to be," Poppy smiled, "Now is it summer?"_

_McGee took a deep breath and stared back at the painting, "I guess."_

_"Close your eyes," she said softly, "Your standing under a willow trees. The sunlight is breaking through the branches and leaves softly. The gardens are in full bloom and you can smell the summer in the air. The fresh cut grass is under your bare feet ticking in between your toes. You can see the water moving gently with the wind. The only sounds around you are the gardens. The leaves are rustling as the grass moves with the wind and the long branches of the tree dance around you. The birds are high in the air singing and the sounds of fill your entire being. It's just you in the garden. Now look down at the lake and open your eyes Timothy."_

_McGee slowly opened his eyes and looked at the painting, "They're beautiful."_

_"That's why I like the lilies," Poppy smiled, "They are very beautiful."_

_"Yes they are," he said looking at her with a shy smile as a dark hair girl came running._

_"Mommy says it time to go Tim," Sarah smiled, "Who's your girlfriend?"_

_McGee blushed and Poppy giggled._

_ "I'm Poppy," she said smiling and offering Sarah her hand to shake…_

"Lost in a memory?"

Poppy opened her eyes and looked at Gibbs sitting on the edge of the desk. That first time running into Tim at the museum had changed her world. They'd slowly become friends and eventually started dating. She'd been twenty five when she'd married him. It scared her how miserable they'd become in four short years. Last year when she'd been selected for an assignment that was impossible to turn down, Poppy had put the final nail in the coffin that was her marriage. Now at thirty, she doubted if she'd ever be as really happy as she'd been with Tim in her twenties.

"Does it matter?"

"Good memories are a coping skill they teach at naval hospitals. It helps with something like anxiety."

"Who said I was anxious?" Poppy asked innocently.

"Where have you been living since you came back from Germany?" Gibbs asked curiously.

"My father had a large apartment that he left to me in his will shortly before he died. I've been staying there," Poppy said with a familiar pang of hurt building in her chest. Senator George Fitz had died while she'd been in Afghanistan and she'd never been able to say goodbye her dearest friend in the world.

"Noor is your mother's maiden name right?"

"Yes Agent Gibbs. She was from Jordan. Noor is Arabic for light. My father thought it would be better for me to have her last name as my last name. People wouldn't know that we were related and it was safer for me in school and such."

"Your father was a smart man," Gibbs acknowledged.

"I agree," Poppy said trying to push down the hurt that his death had left in her heart.

"I will tell McGee the same thing I'm going to tell you. Whatever your marital issues are, I want you two to keep them out of my investigations and out of the office. Deal with them on your own time."

"I didn't cheat on him."

"I don't care," Gibbs said again, "Keep your issues out of my office. Got it?"

"Yes sir."

"Great. Now go home. I'll see you on Monday. This investigation is almost over and wrapped up. Get some sleep."

Poppy grabbed her bag and left without another word.

* * *

_"I'm not having an affair!" Poppy shouted at him as they stood in the kitchen of their house. Pictures of Poppy and another man that been dropped off earlier were scattered on the counter and floor. _

_"What do you call this then?" Tim shot back angrily, "Do you think I'm an idiot? Look at these Poppy! It's you with another man and you're kissing him!" _

_"Please it's not what you think," she begged, "I can't tell you but please-"_

_"Right it's some assignment," McGee scoffed._

_"Yes! Please-"_

_"Some none existent assignment that you've been telling me about? That's the best you can come up with?"_

_"Tim it's off the books. I've already said too much. Please trust me," Poppy begged him tearfully as the overlarge t-shirt she wore fell down one of her shoulders, "I know you have no reason to believe me but please-"_

_"Do you know how crazy you sound Poppy? Do you?" _

_"It's not what you think! I love you please understand-"_

_"I think that you're lying to me. I don't know who you are anymore and frankly I don't want to know you. This isn't the Poppy I know anymore. You standing there lying to me about what these pictures are doesn't help you or make me believe you anymore. Dammit Poppy! I've trusted you! I've loved you and this is what I get?" McGee snapped angrily, "Save your lies Poppy. I'm done with you and the lying…_

McGee shot up in bed in cold sweat and looked over at the clock.

2:58 AM

He hadn't dreamt of their last fight in their kitchen in a long time. Anonymous packages had started coming for months before that fight with pictures of Poppy and another man together at dinners, getting coffee and other intimate activities. He'd confronted her on it many times but each time she denied it. There was no affair just an assignment that was off the books and she couldn't tell him about. She came up with excuse after excuse to cover for the affair.

The morning after their fight, McGee had found most of her clothes cleared out of their closet and a note on the kitchen counter stated that she had been deployed on the assignment that she'd been using as her excuse for the affair. That same day he'd asked that he be removed from any emergency contact sheets and such from her records citing that they were no longer together. He'd sold their house and sold most of their furniture and belongings. He'd given her things to her father and cut off any contact from anything that reminded him of her and the pain she'd been causing. She'd briefly left him several messages months later from Germany but he'd deleted it without even listening to it.

Poppy had run off with her lover and even though it seemed like something she'd never do, McGee had learned the hard way that someone could never really truly know a person. Even when her father had been dying, it hadn't been enough to bring Poppy back from her lover's bed to Senator Fitz's deathbed.

Laying back and staring at the ceiling, McGee willed his body and mind to fall back asleep before the long day ahead started. Working with Poppy was bound to be the most trying experience of his life.

* * *

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	2. Chapter One: The Right Kind of Wrong

**All Errors Are My Own:( Sorry!**

**Portraits4thehopeless.**

* * *

**C****hapter One: The Right Kind of Wrong**

_"You walk in and my strength walks out the door,  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore.  
Oh, I know I should go, but I need your touch just too damn much._

_Loving you isn't really something I should do;_  
_Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you, yeah._  
_Well I should try to be strong, but baby you're the right kind of wrong._  
_Yeah, baby, you're the right kind of wrong._

_Might be a mistake, a mistake I'm makin'_  
_But what you're givin' I am happy to be takin'_  
_'Cause no one's ever made me feel the way I feel when I'm in your arms._

_They say you're something I should do without_  
_They don't know what goes on when the lights go out._  
_There's no way to explain._  
_All the pleasure is worth all the pain._

_Loving you isn't really something I should do_  
_Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you, yeah._  
_Well I should try to be strong, but baby you're the right kind of wrong._  
_Yeah, baby, you're the right kind of wrong…"_

_**~ "The Right Kind of Wrong" – Leann Rimes**_

**Sunday Morning…**

Poppy looked across the table at her brother as they sat outside on the patio of their favorite coffee shop in DC. At thirty eight, Anderson Noor-Fitz was a handsome man. His blue eyes and dark hair matched her exactly except for the few strands of silver that were beginning to show at his temples. Plenty of people had mistaken them for twins in the past despite their eight years age difference. The only difference that was physically between them was height. His impressive six foot two towered over her petite five foot five form and it made him an imposing figure when meeting anyone in person. A career Politian like their father, Anderson had been recently elected to their father's senate seat earlier in the year.

"Everything is ruined and I have no Jonathan Heritage to show for it," Poppy told him pushing toast away.

"That's the problem with secret assignments and politics," Anderson said quietly, "They do a bitch to your personal life."

"Elizabeth isn't going marry you?" Poppy asked shocked, "But I thought she said she'd marry you when you were elected Senator."

Anderson gave her a rueful smile, "She was only after the title of Senator's wife Poppy. I kicked her to the curb. Now back to your problems because I don't want to talk about mine."

"I just want to know what I can do to fix it," Poppy sighed deciding not to push Anderson about Elizabeth, "There's no proof that I can give that he'll listen to. Tim is convinced that those pictures are evidence. He'll dig up anything and convince himself that I cheated. In his eyes I'm still the high school cheerleader and he's the geek. It's like he's afraid to believe me. I don't want to lose him Anderson but I might have no choice. He called me his soon-to-be ex-wife when he introduced me to his co-workers. I guess I'm just waiting to be served at this point."

"So fight for him," Andy told her bring his coffee cup to his lips, "I know you Poppy. You always go after what you want and hold on tight like your life depends on it once you get it. Go fight for McGee if he's what you really want."

"How? He's convinced that I'm a cheating whore. Hell maybe I am but how do I win him back?"

Poppy felt that anxious feeling fill her chest again as she stared at Anderson, desperate from answers.

"I guess just try being a good wife, friend…whatever he needs Poppy. Just try and make amends to start. I know that you can't tell him things about your operation but I know you've told him what you can. You just have to trust that he'll find the truth on his own. Have you-" Anderson stopped and looked at her sadly.

"Have I what?" Poppy pressed.

"Have you thought about maybe there is someone better than Tim? Maybe this is all happening for a reason? Maybe there is someone out there who is more right for you than him Poppy?"

"I don't want anyone but him Anderson," she said tearfully, "I can't imagine not being his wife and being with him. That scares the hell out of me. I will do whatever it takes to get him see that I never cheated."

"He has pictures and emails Poppy," Anderson sighed tiredly, "That's a lot you're going up against. A picture is worth a thousand words."

"Then I will have to find a way to make him believe that I have been faithful."

Anderson sighed again and looked at his watch, "I've got to go but I'll see you soon sis. It's nice having you back."

He smiled at her as he put money down on the table to cover both their meals and coffee. He stood up and put on his dress coat. Kissing her on the head, Anderson Noor-Fitz left Poppy sitting at the table even more confused than ever on what to do.

* * *

Early Monday morning, McGee stepped onto the elevator with his backpack over her shoulder. Just as the door was about to close, Poppy stepped onto the elevator with two cups of coffee.

"Sucking up to Gibbs?" he asked her trying to sound indifferent.

"Actually it's for you," Poppy said turning to him with a smile, "It's just how you like it."

McGee flipped the switch to make the elevator stop. Poppy stared at him as the lights became low and stood tall in her suit and heels trying to hid her nerves. Coffee in hand, Poppy took a sip of one of the cups and sighed.

"Are you going to hurt me?" she asked, "Is that why we stopped?"

"We're going to lay down rules," McGee bit out.

"Yes, Gibbs already gave me a lecture about this," Poppy started already feeling annoyed, "We're supposed to keep our…issues out of the office."

"I know. So for starters don't bring me coffee."

"I always bring you coffee. Even when you were in Norfolk I brought coffee when I came to see you."

"We're not in Norfolk anymore," McGee stated emotionlessly, "We're separated and you bringing me Coffee is inappropriate. Don't forget you cheated on me. Coffee isn't going to fix that either."

Poppy shifted uncomfortably, "Please don't throw that in my face. I didn't cheat on you."

"Don't lie about it Noor. I have pictures and emails that say otherwise."

Poppy sighed and looked at the elevator doors, "I know you sold our house. What did you do with my things?"

"I gave your things to your dad before he died," McGee said as he flipped the switch back on and the elevator moved.

"What happened to my cat?" Poppy asked quietly as the doors opened.

"I gave him up for adoption," McGee stated stepping off the elevator on to their floor.

She followed him into the bullpen where Ziva greeted McGee and ignored her for the most part.

"Who did you give my cat to?" Poppy asked while she set the coffee cup down that she'd gotten for him on his desk.

"Does it matter?" McGee asked not bother to look up.

"It's my cat."

"It destroyed my shoes."

"You were never nice to Charlie."

"You cheated on me," McGee said looking up at her, "Please give me one good reason I should have taken care of that abomination you call a cat."

Poppy looked over her shoulder to where Ziva was watching them intently and sighed.

"Stop throwing that in my face," Poppy bit out as she turned to look back at him angrily. Her hands were on her hips as she fought the urge to rip the cords from Tim's computer monitor.

"You started it. You brought up the cat," McGee argued.

"Morning McGeek! McGorgeous! Ziva," DiNozzo said cheerfully walking into the bullpen, "Did I miss a good fight Ziva?"

"McGee got rid of Noor's cat," Ziva stated leaning back in her chair and watching the couple.

"I'm simple curious as to where he's at," Poppy said smiling tightly at Ziva, "That's all. We're not fighting."

"Yet," DiNozzo chuckled.

"DiNozzo! McGee! Ziva!" Gibbs called loudly walking past the bullpen, "Get your stuff. We've got a dead Petty Officer in Virginia. Noor give the file and evidence bag on my desk to Ducky and Abby."

Poppy nodded but looked at Gibbs confused, "I'm not coming with you."

"You violated the rules I laid down with the cat conversation," Gibbs stated not telling her the real reason why she wasn't coming. He still didn't think she was stable enough to be in the field. He wanted to be the one to determine when she could join them in the field. Not some half ass navy doctor who only wanted to get her out of the hospital to free up a bed.

Tony grabbed the coffee off of McGee's desk and flashed a quick smile.

"Thanks for the coffee Probie. Sorry about the tough luck Noor. On your six boss!" DiNozzo called following Ziva and Gibbs to the elevator. McGee passed her with his gear and didn't say a work.

"Great," Poppy mumbled, "I've gone from being a field agent to being reduced to the office runner."

* * *

Finding Abby's lab hadn't been difficult. Walking in, Poppy was assaulted with pounding metal music.

"Abby!" she called loudly and the music stop. A gothic dressed woman walked over with a smile.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a curious glance.

They were certainly dressed differently , Poppy mused. Abby was dressed in platform shoes and chains while she'd put on a conservative tight black dress and pearl earrings.

"I'm Special Agent Poppy Noor," Poppy said with a smile choosing not over think things and offered Abby the evidence bag, "Gibbs said I was supposed to give you this."

"Oh," Abby said, "You're _her_."

The mood in the room shifted and Poppy felt another frosty reception from a co-worker.

"Her?" Poppy asked trying not feel insulted.

"McGee's wife," Abby said like the phrase was a dirty word.

"I am Poppy McGee. It's nice to meet. Can I ask what's in the evidence bag that's so important?"

"Thanks but I don't share information with strangers," Abby said before turning away and starting the music.

Poppy took her actions as a sign of dismissal and resisted the urge to break something. She left the lab and head to autopsy with mixed feelings. She admired the team's loyalty to one another but was annoyed with them none the less. They weren't judging her based on her skills as an agent but on what they believed to be the adulterous actions of her personal life. Entering the elevator, Poppy went to the basement and entered autopsy praying that she wouldn't have another frosty reception.

"Doctor Mallard?" she asked looking at the young man cleaning tools that had to be used in autopsy.

"No I'm not," he said with a smile, "I'm Doctor Palmer. I can get Doctor Mallard for you though."

"Thank you," Poppy agreed and watched him leave and come back a moment later with an older man.

"You must be Poppy," Doctor Mallard said with a smile and a British accent, "I'm Doctor Mallard. I've heard quite a bit about you from Jethro. It's a delight to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. Agent Gibbs told me that I was to give you this," Poppy told him and handed him the file that had been given to her with a smile.

Ducky opened the file and nodded, "I'm supposed to give you a physical and psych evaluation my dear. I will need you to sign a few things before we start."

Poppy nodded expecting at some point that Gibbs would do this. He didn't trust her and she'd have to prove herself to him again and again until the idea of her being adulterous faded into the background.

The paper work took only a few minutes and soon Ducky had her sitting a stool in his private office as he was poking and prodding around in a manner that she'd become used to after spending months in a hospital. He was polite and told stories about his various adventures from around the world that made her smile.

"Abby told me that you're Timothy's wife," Ducky said conversationally as he listened to her heart as the last part of the exam.

"Is that all she told you?" Poppy asked trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Ducky took off his stethoscope and smiled at her, "What happened between you and Timothy is none of my business. Nor is it Abby's or anyone else's."

"I didn't cheat on him Doctor Mallard," Poppy said already tired of having to defend herself to others. She hadn't even been there a full day and already work was feeling more like torture. Being tortured by Jonathan Heritage had been more enjoyable than this.

"I saw the report of Afghan Operation," Ducky smiled at her sadly. "Jethro sent it to me last week. He wanted my opinion, based on everything that happened to you, if you were ready to be cleared for field duty."

"Am I cleared Doctor Mallard?" Poppy asked hopefully.

"Call me Ducky. My last question is how much pain are you in dear?"

"Not much," she admitted honestly, "The physical pain in nearly none existent and expect for a few times of anxiousness mentally I don't have any pain. I feel fine."

Ducky nodded and looked down at the forms in front of him, "Well I think that you can be cleared for light field work Agent Noor a few times a week. Nothing too strenuous. My biggest concern is making sure that you don't do anything that could aggravate your recovery."

"I understand Ducky. Thank you," Poppy said standing up, "You will be keeping this conversation between us and Gibbs."

"Yes," Ducky nodded, "No one but myself, Gibbs and the director know that you were shot in Afghanistan or anything else relating to what happened. Can I ask what you told Timothy?"

"About the operation in Afghanistan? I only told him that it an assignment that was off the books. If anything, we could say it never existed. How many governments do you think would admit to killing their own soldiers? If anything got out about what Heritage was doing it would a scandal unlike any other. I never told him anything but that it was…covert. He never believed me. Someone sent pictures of me trying to get close to Heritage. That's why Tim thinks I cheated. Even I think I look incredibly guilty."

"Did you ever tell Timothy that you nearly died? Five bullets to the chest was very near lethal Poppy."

"I did try to call him when I woke up in Germany. Several times in fact. He probably deleted the messages and never listened to them. I would have done the same thing Ducky."

"If you'd like a piece of advice Poppy I'd be happy to offer you some," Ducky told her quietly.

"I'd love advice."

"Ziva, Tony and Abby only have Timothy's perspective on the situation. You'll have to win their respect based on what you do in the field my dear. I know that only a few select people including Jethro and myself were cleared to know about the operation in Afghanistan and you can't tell Timothy anything but Poppy…you can win the respect of your team members. I have no doubt about that. Your record speaks for itself. You're one of the strongest people I think I've ever met."

"Thank you Ducky," Poppy smiled, "You've been the first person to really make me feel at home. Thank you for this and your advice. I have one question for you though."

"Anything my dear," Ducky smiled.

"After everything I still love Timothy. I can't bring myself to hate him for being…mean. Am I crazy? I feel like any other woman would just walk away at this point."

"You're in love Poppy. Love makes us do crazy things."

* * *

"So…when will this divorce be finalized?" Tony asked a few days later as he and McGee sat at a stake out.

Their missing Petty Officer had faked his death for some reason and they were trying to figure out why. Nicholas Smith had a clean record, no debt and no family obligations. It didn't make any sense as to why he faked his death. McGee and DiNozzo sat across the street from the bar that the Petty Officer was a regular at in the hope that maybe they could catch him. They also hopped that the suspect they were watching might know where the missing officer was.

"Why do you care?" McGee asked watching their suspect through binoculars.

"I don't know. Your wife is attractive… she's about to be single," Tony shrugged.

McGee turned and glared at Tony, "Don't even think about DiNozzo."

"I wasn't talking about getting into bed with her," Tony shot back innocently.

McGee shook his head and turned back to watch their suspect, "Don't get involved at all. Poppy might be attractive but she's like a snake in oil. You never catch her and you never know when she'll bite you with a lethal injection of poison."

"Whoa! Tough words about the wife dude!"

"I was being nice."

"You did love her at one point though," Tony pointed out as they watched the front door, "I mean you married her."

"I also thought she'd never cheat on me but she did and ran off with the guy. She's the kind of woman no man should get involved with. She's the right kind of wrong that should be avoided."

"Touché but she's trying to make it right."

"What's she gonna make right?" McGee asked exasperated as their suspect who might know where the missing Petty Officer was walked into the bar, "Is she gonna bring me coffee and praise me for the rest of her miserable life? She cheated. End of story. We're getting a divorce and I'm gonna move on with Crystal. Let's get our suspect."

"Wait…the Redskins cheerleader with the boob, butt and blond hair? That's the right Crystal were talking about, right?" Tony asked getting out of the car and following McGee across the street.

"Yep," McGee said as they stepped onto the side walk.

"You're trading Noor for a cheerleader? Dude you need to sort out your priorities. Noor is at least an eight. Your cheerleader is like a six."

"You're just saying that because you wanna sleep with my ex-wife."

"So?" Tony said as they walked into the diner, "Is she any good in bed?"

"Not answering that Tony."

* * *

"Noor what do you have?" Gibbs asked coming into the bullpen.

The case had been a confusing maze of twists and turns for her. McGee and Ziva didn't talk to her and any bits of information she got from Tony who found the whole situation amusing. Abby refused her admittance into the lab and Gibbs was as detached as anyone could be. Having lunch with Ducky proved to be the highlight of her day. He was charming and accepted her without question. His stories amused her and she felt comfortable with him. She'd even opened up to him and had told him her favorite story about how McGee had tried to fix their kitchen sink using one of those Dummy books.

Standing up and walking over to Gibbs' desk she handed him the file of the information she'd collected on their missing Petty Officer. Gibbs opened it and took one look at it before closing it.

"Sir?" Poppy asked confused.

"Talk to your co-workers Noor. You just wasted this whole morning gathering information that we already had yesterday," Gibbs told her, "If you can't do that then get off my team and pack your desk up. Director Shepard said you're one of the best. You're making yourself look like one of the worst and you're not even in the field yet. Now get out of here."

McGee, Ziva and Tony's eyes were all on her as Gibbs reprimanded her and Poppy tried to ignore the burn of humiliation at being chastised in front of McGee.

"Yes Boss," she said quickly before talking the file back and slipping away silently. Walking down the hallway to a private room, Poppy slipped in and closed her eyes fighting away tears. Working on Gibbs' team was pure hell. Maybe she should have asked for reassignment when Shepard had told her that she was being transferred to Gibbs' team.

Walking to the metal desk, Poppy tossed her morning of hard work down on the top and sat down. There was a knock on the door and Poppy looked up to see DiNozzo walk in with two cups of coffee.

"Thought you could use some coffee," he smiled as he sat down in front of her. Three files were tucked under his arm and he set them down with the coffee.

"What are these?" Poppy asked opening them and seeing the information that she'd spent the morning collecting.

"Ziva was supposed to leave them on your desk," DiNozzo said as a look of guilt crossed his face, "She's protective of McGee and-"

"I'm the adulterous whore that he calls wife?" Poppy finished with a sarcastic smile, "I understand."

"Did you cheat on our McGee?"

The smile dropped from Poppy's face as she stared at Tony, "Does it matter?"

"If we work on a team, we have to trust each other."

Poppy closed the file and pushed it away, "I never cheated him. Pictures and emails say otherwise."

"So McGee has physical proof that you cheated even though you still deny it?"

"Jonathan Heritage," Poppy said cryptically before standing up and picking up the coffee and files, Thanks Tony for the information. I'd appreciate it if you kept me in the loop more."

"Who?" Tony asked watching her leave the room confused by who Jonathan Heritage was. Getting up and following her back down the hall, he nearly ran into her as Poppy abruptly stopped and looked at the blond woman who sat in McGee's chair.

"Who is that?" Poppy asked turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh boy," Tony mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck and looking between Poppy and the blond woman he recognized as Crystal, the cheerleader. He could already see the cat fight happening in his head when the two women were introduced. Crystal spotted them and began walking over with a bright smile.

"I gonna wanna kill her after this aren't I?" Poppy said plastering a fake smile on her face.

"Please don't get blood on the carpet Mrs. Probie," Tony said through his own smile, "Gibbs will kill me."

* * *

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	3. Chapter Two: Rumor Has It

**Thanks to everyone who is reading! Leave a review! I know you're there:) and I'd love to know what you think. Good, bad and ugly.**

**P4TH**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Rumor Has It**

_"She, she ain't real  
She ain't gon' be able to love you like I will  
She is a stranger.  
You and I have history or don't you remember?  
Sure, she's got it all  
but baby is that really what you want?_

_Bless your soul, you got your head in the clouds_  
_She made a fool out of you_  
_And, boy, she's bringing you down_  
_She made your heart melt but you're cold to the core_  
_Now rumor has it, she ain't got your love anymore_

_Rumor has it_  
_Rumor has it_  
_Rumor has it_  
_Rumor has it…"_

**_~ "Rumor Has It" – Adele _**

"Agent DiNozzo," Crystal said in a thick southern accent as she sashayed over, "I was just thinkin' bout you while I was waitin' for my snuggle bear."

Poppy's eyebrow went high and almost disappeared into her hairline, "Snuggle bear?"

"Oh we haven't met," Crystal said in a cheery way that reminded her of a cheerleader, "I'm Crystal, Super Special Agent Tim McGee's girlfriend and cheerleader with the Redskins. Go Washington!"

Tony made a choking sound in his throat as Poppy eyed the hand that Crystal had extended wondering if it would burn her.

"I'm a germaphobic," Poppy said with a straight face, "I don't shake hands."

"Oh you poor thing!" Crystal gushed with sympathy, "You don't even hug?"

"I have a gun. I don't need hugs. My gun gives me the most secure feeling in the world against the idiots that lurk around."

Tony turned away with his shoulder shaking.

"Oh I don't believe in guns! I tell snuggle bear to leave his at his apartment and to keep it the 'h' 'e' double hockey sticks away from my home and my baby."

"Baby?" Poppy choked as DiNozzo struggled harder not to laugh.

"My little dog! Tinker Bell! You know Paris had one named the same thing but my baby is so much cuter. I never got your name by the way. Do you work with my snuggle bear?" Crystal continued oblivious to Tony.

"Yes, I'm Poppy Noor," Poppy replied getting giving Crystal a fake smile, "I have to go but it was nice to meet you. Have a nice day."

Poppy walked back down the hall to the elevator and paused in front of it as it opened. McGee and Gibbs stepped out the elevator and both looked at her expectantly.

"When were you going to tell me that you replaced me with a southern tramp whose IQ number is the equivalent of how many bullets I have in my gun snuggle bear?" Poppy asked mocking Crystal annoying accent.

Gibbs gave a small smile and watched as Poppy crossed her arms over her chest looking at McGee expectantly.

"You…you…you talked to Crystal?"

"You mean the thing over by Tony with fake breasts? Yes I did. You really are moving up in the world. The cheerleader with fake breasts absolutely screams teenage boy fantasy."

"She's nice," McGee shot back as he narrowed his eyes at Poppy.

"I doubt she even knows what NCIS stands for. The words are probably too big for her."

McGee glared at her as she walked around him to the elevator, "Your jealousy is showing Maleficent."

"If Crystal is Sleeping Beauty I will gladly be Maleficent because Maleficent kills Sleeping Beauty in the non-Disney version. Besides I have a gun and I will shoot her if she touches me or talks to me one more time."

"Is that why you're leaving?" McGee asked, "You're scared of a cheerleader?"

"I promised Tony I wouldn't get any blood on the carpet."

"Wait! Hold the elevator!"

Gibbs and McGee watched as Crystal ran over and joined Poppy in the elevator.

"I'm gonna be late for practice. Love you smooch bear!" Crystal cried as she blew him a kiss

Poppy raised an eyebrow and gave a smirk as the doors of the elevator closed.

"McGee," Gibbs started as they stood staring at the closed elevator doors.

"Yeah boss?" he said in shock that the two women were in the same elevator together.

"Can I give you a piece of advice?"

"Sure boss."

"There are fees for early withdraws and deposit in marriage. You better take the stairs and make sure that both those women get off the elevator without killing each other. And what I really mean is that you better make sure that Noor doesn't kill your cheerleader because I wouldn't put it past her to do it where there are no witnesses."

"Yeah boss," McGee said in a daze and quickly ran off towards the stairs.

Gibbs stared at the elevator door and grinned. Noor was an alright girl. He liked her.

"Noor hasn't killed the cheerleader right boss?" DiNozzo asked coming to stand next to him.

Gibbs smiled, "Nope."

* * *

"I heard that you met Crystal," Ducky said over lunch Saturday afternoon a few days later. He and Poppy sat outside on the patio of an expensive, uptown restaurant that Ducky had insisted on taking her to. They were both dressed in casual but fancy attire. She'd been excited to wear the tight knee length black dress with capped sleeves and sweetheart neckline that her brother's personal shopper had purchased for her. At first she'd been shocked that her brother had dropped several thousand dollars on her for the new wardrobe but so far she'd been very grateful. Ducky looked handsome too in his usual bowtie and suit. His ability to make her feel like the only woman in the room was admirable. It reminded her of Tim in away. He'd always made her feel like a princess.

"You mean the cheerleader with an IQ of five?" she asked lifting her glass of water to her painted red lips, "Yes, I had that…wonderful pleasure."

"Yes, she is rather unpleasant dear. You didn't kill her in the elevator too," Ducky smiled, "I'm impressed."

"It doesn't mean the next time we met I won't do damage Doctor Mallard. It simply means that she survived her first encounter with me," Poppy smiled back.

"Yes well, you do look like every inch the lady I assumed your father groomed you to be. You're quite like Ziva and yet very different although I will say that Timothy has very good tastes."

Poppy smiled, "Thank you but I will say he went from me to a cheerleader. Can you believe it?"

Ducky was silent for a moment and Poppy raised her eyebrow, "There are other women aren't there?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Ducky…just tell me. I don't want to be the ignorant woman. How many others?" she asked.

He took off his glasses and sighed, "Crystal, Abbey and some other girls. There has probably been more since he published his books."

"Book?"

"Thom E. Gemcity. The Adventures of Tibbs? You haven't read them? Well…you'll be in for a treat."

Poppy cocked her head to the side a half smile, "The kind of treats of I don't like? Oh Duck, you're like an open book."

"Enough about this, tell me what you're plan is for getting Timothy back. You keep saying you have a plan over lunch and I'd like to hear it," Ducky said just as Poppy's phone rang.

She looked at the screen from where it sat on the table next to her and gave him an apologetic smile.

"I have to take this. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry my dear," he told her as she stood up, "I'm going to order us a bottle of white wine."

With one last smile, Poppy walked away from the patio to as small area that overlooked the Potomac River.

"This is Poppy," she said answering the phone.

"Hello Poppy."

Ice filled her veins. Jonathan Heritage's chilling voice resonated deep down to her bones. She gripped the phone tightly as she came to stand at the railing of the secluded area of the patio.

"How did you get this number?" she asked him in a chilling tone that matched his.

"Does it matter darling? I'm happy to know that you're still alive."

"You won't be for long though. I will kill you when I find you," she snapped at him through gritted teeth.

"If you find me," Heritage taunted, "Besides what if I find you first? Don't think I won't hesitate to put a bullet through that ice cold heart of yours. I'm not sure your husband Timothy would miss you very much. He's far too busy with that cheerleader of his. Of course, she's not as pretty as you. No, you're much more beautiful. Long legs in black stiletto heels, a sweetheart neckline…capped sleeves and blood red lips with your lovely hair pulled back into a bun at the base of your neck. No, you are the stunner my darling."

Poppy felt her body tense as he described what she wore perfectly. She forced herself to stay calm as she began scanning around her looking for his possible location. He had to be close.

"And those lips of yours," Heritage continued, "Those lips are so damn kissable. I could spend another few hours exploring that body beneath that dress too. Does Tim know that I've seen every inch of you? That I've touched every inch of you without consent? That you screamed for him in the desserts of Afghanistan?"

"Listen to me you son of bitch," Poppy snapped as memories of being physically and sexually tortured raced through her mind, "You have been a plague on my life but do you know what I'm good at? It's catching bastards like you who think that they are Gods. There is no 'if' about catching you. It's _when_ I catch you. I will make you pay for everything you did to those sixteen women. I will put a bullet in your head Heritage. Make no mistake of that."

"Not if I find you darling and put a bullet in your head first," he replied quietly in a calm voice, "You're very smart at hiding where you're at from prying eyes. Even your agency doesn't know where you live. You pay for everything in cash but darling you forgot something. I might not have worked for the CIA like you, I might not have had a father like you who taught me everything he knew about being a soldier or a spy for a mother but I have friends in high and low places that can find you and cause pain. Lots of pain… have sweet dreams tonight of me darling. Au revoir…"

Poppy tossed the cell phone into the river and walked away as soon as the call ended. She'd done everything possible to make it impossible for him to track her. She had no credit cards, a fake address and so much more. Even Shepard had said that she was like a ghost. Barely existing but people knew she was there. Plastering a fake smile on her face, Poppy walked back to the table and sat down across from Ducky as he chatted on his own phone.

"Of course Jethro…we'll be there," he said before ending the call.

"We have a case?" Poppy asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes. A dead Navy Captain dumped out at a pond in Virginia."

* * *

McGee stood next to her as they looked at the profile of the dead sailor several hours later. Captain James Hebert was a twenty-seven year old man who shouldn't have died. Two bullet shots to the head had ended his life prematurely and left a three year old boy fatherless.

"Find anything?" Gibbs asked as he joined them in the bullpen.

"No debt, honorable record and no one appears to have a problem with him," McGee started, "We checked his account and such. Nothing to indicate he was in any kind of financial trouble or had family problems."

"Ziva and Tony went to go talk to his co-works but so far everything and everyone is checking out okay," Poppy added, "We managed to access his phone records and emails but so far nothing has turned up."

"Well find something," Gibbs demanded as he picked up his coffee, "Go check out his house."

He walked away and Poppy looked at McGee. They hadn't said a work to each other as they worked. She'd sat at DiNozzo's desk and had combed through pages of emails, texts and bank documents while he'd done all they computer analyzing of phone records, travel patterns and such.

"You can drive," she said without emotion as she went to grab her gear.

The Captain's house was located in a small, quiet neighborhood just outside of Washington. It was far too long of a drive for Poppy's taste. She'd spent the majority of it trying to come up with something to say to McGee who clearly didn't want to talk to her or work with her in any capacity. She'd found herself wishing that she could either work by herself or with DiNozzo. He at least was kind to her and made her laugh. Hell, she'd even take Ziva over McGee any day.

"So…Ducky told me that you wrote a book," she said trying again to start a conversation as McGee parked the SUV that they'd used to get to the house on the street. They walked up the drive together and went to the front door.

"I did," he said as he put the key into the lock and pushed the door open.

"The adventure of L.J Tibbs," she chuckled as she followed him into the foyer and closed the door behind her, "Three guess who that's about?"

"I'll take the bedrooms and bathrooms if you take the living room and kitchen."

She turned to look at him trying to hide her annoyance, "I'm trying to talk to you. I'm trying to be a good wife and be nice and talk to you and…and…and fix what happen between us Tim."

"You cheated. How are you going to fix that?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest as they stood in the entry hall.

"I wish you would understand or even be open to the idea that maybe I didn't cheat on you. Please, can't we at least try to fix this? Are we really going to toss away everything Tim? We've been together since we were teenagers. Do those years mean nothing to you?" Poppy pleaded with him, "Can you look me in the eye and say that in those years you've never made a mistake or had a misassumption about a situation or something? I know things look bad but plea-"

"Did you ever think about our life together when you tossed everything away for that guy?" he asked as he interrupted her.

Poppy felt a sharp pain in her chest as he looked at her without any emotion. He didn't care to be angry or anything and that made his words hurt so much more. He just didn't care about her or their marriage anymore. McGee didn't wait for a response before moving away from her and up the stairs to the bedrooms.

"I thought of you every day while I was in Afghanistan and Germany," she whispered to the empty room as she looked up the stairs, "I thought of you when I had five bullets in my chest and all I could think about was you telling me you loved me. I didn't cheat on you."

Walking into the kitchen, she began open cupboards trying desperately to get her mind off of anything that related to Afghanistan, Germany, Heritage or McGee. Captain James Herbert might have been a single father but he lived like a bachelor still. Empty cupboards and a low food supply weren't surprising.

Closing the pantry door and looking around the open floor plan of the main floor, Poppy paused hearing sounds of movement. Taking her gun out, Poppy checked the closets and the bathroom. Seeing the door to the basement cracked open, she took her flash light out and reached for the door knob. Pulling the door open, she flashed the light down the steps. The basement was dark and memories of being dragged down steps in a safe house in Afghanistan came racing back. Taking a deep breath, she pushed all the thoughts out of her mind and took a step down. With each step she gathered courage and flashed her light around her until she reached the bottom of the staircase. The basement was unfinished and cold. It sent a chill up her spine as she crept forward. Someone was down in the basement with her. She could sense it as she flashed her light to the ground trying to find feet or something to give away their position…

Pain radiated from her shoulder as someone tackled her. Her gun fell from her hand and her head connected to the cement floor leaving her dizzy. Ignoring the pain and dizziness, Poppy flipped them over and put her assailant in a chokehold as she pinned him.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing in Captain James Herbert's house?" she grunted using all her strength to hold the man down.

"He…he…" he said breathing heavily, "I…I can't….breathe."

The lights flipped on as McGee came rushing down the steps.

"NCIS freeze!" he said pointing his gun at them both.

"You're a little late," Poppy said looking up at him as she released her hold on the man and stood up.

He rolled over and began coughing. Poppy picked up her gun and cracked her neck. Her flashlight had rolled away and laid broken on the floor.

"You alright?" McGee asked as he kept his gun trained on the man.

"Yeah but this is the fifth one this year that's been broke," she said picking up the now useless flashlight.

"You crazy bitch," the man groaned as he rested on his hands and knees trying to breathe.

Walking over, Poppy didn't hesitate to kick him low in the stomach that was received with a howl of pain.

"I'm Special Agent Poppy Noor from NCIS and the other man who is pointing a gun at you is Special Agent Timothy McGee," she said taking out her credentials and flashing them, "You're under arrest for trespassing on a government property, assaulting a federal agent and obstructing a federal investigation."

"You're crazy! I've been in this basement since that psycho put here!" the man protested as McGee began to read off his Miranda rights.

"I've heard that before," Poppy told him as she dragged him to stand up, "You better shut up and cooperate or I will cause you a world of hurt. Have you got a pair of hand cuffs McGee?"

* * *

"Ducky said light field work Noor," Gibbs said as he walked into the bullpen with two cups of coffee and offered her one, "He didn't say go get stitches in your head.

"He hit me boss," Poppy defended as she accepted the coffee, "I didn't hit him."

"You kicked him low in the stomach," McGee corrected with a roll of his eyes.

"I missed. It doesn't count. I was aiming lower anyways. Besides he called me a crazy bitch."

She and McGee engaged in a glaring contest as Ziva and DiNozzo walked into the bullpen.

"What do you have on this guy?" Gibbs asked them as he sat down at his desk.

"His name is Max Kerns. Twenty-one and goes to Georgetown on scholarship for boxing. He was on a missing persons list until McGee and Noor stumbled on upon him in Herbert's basement," Ziva said as she pulled the guy's picture up, "He appears to be clean. No prior offenses and his family and friends say that he's a model student and boxer."

"Why would Herbert keep him in his basement then?" Poppy asked, "He had to have a reason. Herbert doesn't strike me as the type to keep a sex slave in his basement."

Gibbs looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "You ever met 'the type'?"

Poppy chuckled, "You know one when you met one Gibbs. Trust me."

"You think that maybe Kerns knew something he shouldn't have Boss?" DiNozzo said as he looked at Poppy with a raised eyebrow.

"Noor, DiNozzo go find out what he knows," Gibbs ordered as he looked at his computer screen.

"Sir?"

"You heard me Noor. Go."

Poppy moved quickly out the seat with DiNozzo following at her heels.

"So is Probie into all that kinky stuff that Abbey alludes to?"

* * *

Poppy sat down across from Max Kerns and smiled at him, "We meet again."

Kerns looked at her, "What do you want?"

"Answers, I want answers Mr. Kerns."

"Can I see my family?"

"When we're done," Poppy shrugged as she crossed her legs and stared hard at Kerns, "I'm former CIA so it might take a while to get the right answers I want. So, plan on it being a while."

"When will we be done?"

"When I feel you've given me adequate information as payment for the three stitches I have in my hairline that hurt like a bitch," she snapped at him as she pushed a picture of her bleeding head and stitches across the metal interrogation table, "You assaulted a federal officer today Mr. Kerns. It's a federal offense and punishable by law."

Kerns shifted uncomfortably, "I thought you were him."

"Who? Who did you think I was?"

"Captain Herbert."

"What was Herbert doing to you?" Poppy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He'd leave me to starve. He wanted answers about some kid in my class named Abdullah," Kerns replied shaking his head, "Please I don't know anything."

"Abdullah? Who is he?"

"He's some middle eastern kid in my physics class. I don't know him very well."

"What did he say Abdullah was involved with? What made Abdullah so…desirable? James Herbert supposedly abducted you for what?"

"Herbert was nuts," Kerns said looking panicked, "He was just…crazy."

"I have at least five people who would disagree with that statement," Poppy told him emotionlessly, "Why did Herbert supposedly take you? Did you know something? Give me some answers here Max. I can't help you without you helping me."

"He kept talking about some terror plot. I don't know. He'd mumble to himself a lot."

"What kind of plot?"

"Listen I don't know! I just want to go home and see my mom! Please! I don't know anything!" Kerns said breaking down, "Please I don't know anything about Herbert or this Abdullah kid! Please!"

Poppy stood up and left the room without another look at the kid.

"We're already looking for this Abdullah kid," DiNozzo said as he stood out in the hall waiting for her, "McGee checked and there is not social connection or anything between Kerns and this Abdullah kid except the physics class."

"Kerns wants to see his family. I think he just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Poppy told him as they walked down the hallway.

"Gibbs doesn't believe in coincidences."

"Who the hell does?"

* * *

Gibbs survived them as they relayed the information that Kerns had told them.

"Send him home," he finally said, "Until we can come up with a connection between the three men send Kerns home but watch him. See what he does. DiNozzo, McGee, Ziva go pick up Abdullah."

The trio left Noor standing in front of Gibbs' desk feeling out of place.

"What should do Gibbs?" she asked, "Because clearly you won't let me do any field work."

"Go rest," he told her not bothering to look up at her from his computer screen, "Go sleep. Do something. You were attacked to today."

"Tackled Gibbs, I was tackled," she defended.

"Yeah by a guy the size of Clay Matthews," he scoffed.

"Matthews is a good player and not too bad on the eyes."

Gibbs scoffed again and rolled his eyes, "Go home Noor! Or at least go sleep in autopsy or something. I will call you when we have Abdullah."

* * *

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	4. Chapter Three: You Give Love A Bad Name

**Chapter Three: You Give Love a Bad Name**

_"...You promised me heaven_  
_And put me through hell_  
_Chains of love got a hold on me_  
_When passion's a prison_  
_You can't break free_

_Oh, you're a loaded gun, yeah_  
_Oh, there's nowhere to run_  
_No one can save me_  
_The damage is done_

_Shot through the heart_  
_And you're to blame_  
_You give love a bad name (Bad name)_  
_I play my part and you play your game_  
_You give love a bad name (Bad name)_  
_You give love a bad name_

_Paint your smile on your lips_  
_Blood red nails on your fingertips_  
_A school boy's dream, you act so shy_  
_Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye..."_

_**~ "You Give Love a Bad Name" - Bon Jovi**_

It was past ten o'clock at night when Poppy crossed across her apartment to the door. She kept her gun behind her back as opened the door to her large apartment and peered around the door. McGee stood there looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You gonna let me in?" he asked, "Or were you always this paranoid and I just never noticed?"

"I thought you were someone else," she replied throwing the door open and walking back into her apartment. The apartment was large with an open floor plan and two bedrooms that were spacious. The living room had a single chair in the center of it and the kitchen was empty except for a box of Chinese food and a coffee maker. The cold hard wood floors shined from the light coming in from the city lights as Poppy walked over to the Mr. Coffee maker, put her gun down and poured herself a cup.

"You shouldn't answer the door dressed like that," McGee said as he shut and locked the door behind him, "Especially this late."

Poppy looked up at him and smirked, "Why? See something you like?"

The thin t-shirt she wore was made of sheer material and ended just below her hips. The neckline was too big causing half the shirt to slide down her shoulder and the black thigh high stockings that she'd worn for the day with a garter belt were still on. Her hair was piled up on her head in a messy bun and she knew that she looked like a sight to him. It briefly gave her satisfaction to know that no matter what, Crystal would never make McGee feel what she could. She watched as his eyes traveled over her form causing Poppy to smirk even more. She knew that look all to well.

"You can lie yourself all you want Timothy," she said quietly as she walked over to him. She pressed her hand against his chest and stood on her tippy toes.

"But you can't lie to me," she whispered pressing her lips to his ear, "I know you want me as much as I want you. Don't lie and say there isn't anything between us because you know that is not true."

One of McGee's hands tangled themselves in her hair and jerked her head back to him in a smoldering kiss that left her breathless as he pushed her back against the kitchen counter. His other hand slipped under her shirt and it was the last conscious thing Poppy could remember.

* * *

Poppy woke up to the sound of the front door closing as she lay on her back in the center of bed. Pushing the sheets away, she didn't bother getting dressed as she walked into the kitchen. The trail of clothing that had been left the night before on their way to bed was gone. Poppy smiled bitterly at the note McGee had left on the counter when she picked it up and snorted.

_ See you at work. McGee. _

Tossing the note away, Poppy turned on music as a knock sounded at her door. Lana Del Rey's Carmen began to play as she grabbed the t-shirt from the night before and put it on. Her gun was still on the counter and she grabbed that too before walking over to the front door and opening it.

"Package for Ms. Noor?" a young delivery guy said as he stared at her with large eyes.

"I'm Ms. Noor," Poppy said holding her hand out. The delivery guy gave her the package and she closed the door in his face as he tried to take another look at her body. Tearing open the small flat rectangular box, Poppy smiled seeing a second edition Alice in Wonderland staring back at her from folded paper. A note written in fountain pen on expensive cardstock was on top of the book along with a dried rose. Lifting up the note, Poppy smiled even more reading it.

_Enjoy the early edition. _

_-SI._

"You know how to treat a woman Sergei," Poppy chuckled to herself as she took the book out of the paper.

* * *

McGee felt like an idiot.

Sleeping with Poppy had not been a good idea. It had been a horrible idea in fact. The only reason he'd showed up at her door the night before was to make sure that she was okay. She'd taken a rough hit and she'd never admit to anyone if she was in pain. In the heat of the moment when he's impulsively kissed her, all he been able to think about was her body and how good it felt with his. Poppy had insisted that they keep the light off but he'd been barely paying attention. The need to be inside her and be one with her had been overwhelming.

It was when he'd woken up in her bed earlier that morning before dawn that guilt, remorse and horror had hit him. He'd snuck out as quickly as he could and raced to his home to change. Crystal had been there to greet him with a cup of coffee and a smile. Lying to her had nearly made him sick and he briefly wondered how the hell Poppy had dealt with her guilt if she had had any at all. In the shower he'd come to the conclusion that Poppy had no moral compass to tell her right from wrong. His compass was going nuts and Crystal had picked up on it immediately. Why had he never picked up on her? Why had he never taken a closer look at the situation?

Crystal had kept asking him if he was alright and it had taken everything in him not to blurt out that he'd slept with his soon-to-be ex-wife. Letting the hot water run over his body, McGee hoped that the water would wash away his guilty and fortify him for seeing Poppy at work.

* * *

Poppy couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she walked into NCIS around eight. Even though Timothy had left in the morning, kissing her and sleeping with her had to mean something. He had to care for her in some way. He wasn't the type to sleep around.

Everything was almost over in a way. After the information Sergei had given her this morning about Heritage, she could easily catch him and tell Timothy everything. She could show him all the evidence and maybe, just maybe they had a shot in hell of getting through this unscathed.

Hitting the elevator button, Poppy waited with her two coffees for the door open. When they did, she paused seeing McGee standing there. He had showered and changed into a dark suit and dark blue shirt that was open at the collar.

"Hi," she smiled as she stepped into the elevator, "I missed you this morning. I got you coffee."

The doors to the elevator closed and McGee pushed the button to stop it. The elevator came to a stop and Poppy turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"We need to talk," McGee said in a serious voice.

"About?"

"Last night."

Poppy raised an eyebrow, "What about it?"

"It shouldn't have happened. It was stupid mistake and the minute we get off this elevator, last night never happened."

Poppy looked at him in shock and felt crushed inside, "What?"

"Last night never happened," McGee said repeating himself, "It was mistake."

"No it wasn't," Poppy snapped back coming out of her shock, "It wasn't a mistake. It didn't feel like a mistake when you kissed me! It felt right like we were doing something right for the first time in a while!"

"And then I had to go home and look Crystal in the eye and lie! That's when everything became a mistake. A stupid, stupid mistake! I can barely look at myself without disgust. I don't know how you look at yourself in the mornings. Last night doesn't feel in anyway wrong to you Poppy? In no way does it feel wrong? I'm with Crystal and you've been-"

"I get it," Poppy said looking at her reflection in the metal elevator doors fighting her jaw from quivering, "I've gone from adulterous whore to adulterous home wrecking whore. You don't need to say anything else Timothy. I'm well away of my faults in your eyes."

She jerkily reached over and hit the button to make the elevator move.

"Poppy-" McGee started seeing how upset she was.

"No you don't need to say anything," Poppy snapped as she interrupted him, "I don't need you to say anymore."

The elevator doors opened and Poppy quickly stepped out. She dropped the coffee cups in the trash and made her way to the stairs to speak with the director's office.

* * *

Jenny Shepard looked up at Noor as she entered the office.

"I was just getting ready to call you. We received Intel on Heritage," she said taking off her glasses.

"Sergei Ivankov contacted me too. He gave me Intel also," Poppy said sitting down across from Jenny and crossed her legs, "Someone by the name of Ali Jericho has been transferring large amounts of money into Heritage's bank accounts in Moscow recently."

"Terrorism," Jenny said connecting the dots, "My contact told me that Ali Jericho is a financer of a terror cell out of Afghanistan."

"So now Heritage is a human trafficker and has terrorist ties. What have they been paying him for?"

"CIA Agents in the middle east," Jenny said quietly, "Apparently one of the women that Heritage kidnapped sold him secrets in the hopes that he'd release her. He's selling the secrets that she told him now for profit."

"Do we know anything about Ali Jericho?"

"Nope. He's new to the game and we can only pray he makes an error. So far everything has been untraceable."

Poppy nodded, "Damn…so we're still at square one again."

"Until Heritage contacts you again and threatens you," Jenny said, "Why didn't you tell me that he had contacted you?"

"It wasn't important."

"He's on a terror list now!" Jenny shouted, "As your CO I need to know these things."

"He called me to tell me that he's going to put a bullet in my head Shepard!" Poppy shouted back as she stood up, "And after Afghanistan I really don't trust my life in your hands! So forgive me for not telling you that he called to promise me a lead slugger between my eyes! Is that it Madame Director?"

Jenny started at her with narrow eyes and nodded, "Don't think this conversation is over Noor."

"Wouldn't dream of it Ma'am," Poppy said yanking Shepard's door open and slamming it shut behind her just as Jenny picked up her phone.

* * *

"We've had no luck on finding Abdullah so far," Gibbs said sitting down next to Poppy on a park bench not far from NCIS headquarters around lunch time. He'd watched her spend the whole morning on the phone speaking to various contacts in forign languages trying to track down some information on Heritage while trying to help DiNozzo and Ziva find Abdullah. McGee and her had been frosty to each other and hadn't said a word.

"Not surprised. If he has terror ties they could hide him well," Poppy replied bitterly.

"Just like they're hiding Heritage?" Gibbs quipped before he took a sip of coffee.

"Of course Shepard told you."

"You were insubordinate," he corrected, "She's worried about you Noor. We all are. I need to know that you're not cracking on me."

"Maybe I am cracking Gibbs! I nearly died because of her," Poppy snapped, "I've lost everything and given well beyond what most people would for this assignment. I have given my country everything but my very life and I will be damned if I put that in the hands of Jenny Shepard again. Look at what happened to me in Afghanistan if you need more evidence as to why I won't trust her again."

"You just gave the very reason why you have Jenny's respect and trust. Mine too."

Poppy looked at him with a raised eyebrow before she turned back and looked at the ducks in the lake.

"You are a good agent Poppy. You're one of the best. You have intelligence agencies fighting over you. The reason you're the best is because you have given everything to your country. You do your best and fight hard because you have nothing left to lose. You have everything to gain. That's why they picked you to get Heritage. You will stop at nothing to get him. Even after Heritage has ruined your marriage, tortured and nearly killed you, you're still going after him. That's why you're the best agent I know Noor. You don't stop. It's what also makes you the most dangerous and unpredictable person I know."

Poppy was quiet before looking at Gibbs again, "He told me he'd put a bullet in my head."

"Does that scare you?"

"After today? No. Not after what Timothy said earlier."

"What did he say?" Gibbs asked. He'd told Jenny that he'd take watch of Noor but this was deeper. He genuinely had come to care for her and wanted to help. Poppy bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

"Last night he came to see me. One thing led to another and you don't need the details. I thought maybe he cared. Maybe he'd believe once Heritage was captured and…this morning he told me everything was a mistake and asked how I could live myself every day. He was so angry at himself and it came out on to me. I've moved from adulterous whore to adulterous home wrecking whore in the standing by the way," she said with a humorless laugh, "I'm not afraid of Heritage. He's more than welcome to put a bullet head and right now Gibbs…I'd let him do it without a fight because I'm so tired of fighting. I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Gibbs took a picture out and held it up so Poppy could see. It was a picture of Becky Jasper, Heritage's first victim.

"You fought to bring her home Noor. You're the reason this woman is still alive and I'm not going to let you give up on yourself or on nailing Heritage. I've missed catching enough soldiers when they've come back from war but I'm not going to miss or drop you. You're a fighter Noor and everything looks bad now but you and I both know that you are going to get the son of a bitch who hurt those women. You're the one person who I know with absolute certainty will catch Jonathan Heritage and at the end of the day what McGee thinks about you doesn't matter. He doesn't deserve the right to love you if he can't trust you with blind faith. Loving someone means taking that step and trusting blindly. He can't do that and doesn't deserve someone like you. If he could see the woman who is sitting in front of me he'd think twice about everything he's ever said to you. He doesn't realize that he's married to one of the most loyal and determined people I know."

Poppy smiled sadly, "My brother said something like that once to me. I wrote him off as being wrong."

"Your brother is the only politician I trust and he's right," Gibbs smiled back as he stood up, "Now let's get back to the office because we need to find Abdullah."

"Thanks Boss," Poppy said quietly as she stood up, "Can you not tell anyone about this?"

"That the agency's pride and joy had a confidence relapse moment? Don't worry about it. We all have off days."

"Thanks for putting it so nicely."

* * *

Gibbs had punished her in the end for her insubordination to Shepard and it annoyed Poppy as she sat at her desk clicking a pen as she watched the interrogation tape of Abdullah Kameron. They'd picked him up from outside one of the buildings where his classes were located and he'd come without a fight.

He was a young man and after a few minutes broke down admitting that James Herbert had found out about the bombing that had been planned. He'd admitted a few others had helped in the planning but something about everything didn't sit well with her. So far no one had admitted to committing the murder of James Herbert or knowing who killed him.

From the time she'd spent tracking Heritage and other terrorist, no one gave in easily and spilt major plans like bombing within minutes. Yet, Abdullah had caved quickly and had given the location of the bomb within minutes. He'd told them that Max was in fact in his class and sat a few seats away. His belief was that Max must have overheard something and Herbert took him to interrogate.

After DiNozzo had gotten the location, Gibbs had sidelined her and stated that she'd be sitting this raid out. It pissed her off to no end but Poppy obeyed in fear that he'd put her on more desk duty. Muting the video and watching in slow motion, Poppy smirked as she watched the tendons in his arm move rhythmically as he lied to DiNozzo. It would be enough in court to nail him.

"Morse code," she said triumphantly, "Smart bastard."

Getting up quickly, she walked down to the room that Abdullah was located. Poppy took a deep breath and opened the door. Abdullah looked up at her curiously.

"Am I free to leave?" he asked.

Walking to stand behind him, Poppy rested her hand on the metal table and tapped out the answer in code.

"What is that?" Abdullah asked as he watched her finger, "Can I leave?"

"You tell me," Poppy asked sitting down across from him, "You're not an American. You have no Bill of Rights and you probably have a one way ticket to Gitmo at this point."

Abdullah shook his head, "I have told the truth and cooperated. What more do you want?"

"The real truth," Poppy snapped, "What did you sign in Morse code under the table? I saw your hand moving. You were signing something. What was it?"

"I don't know what you were talking about," Abdullah stated defiantly.

Anger went through her body as Poppy stood up and walked to stand behind him.

"You know when I was in Afghanistan I was captured and tortured," she said quietly in his ear, "Do you know that they tortured me for two months? During that time I learned something. Pain is a powerful motivator. So will I have to use pain to motivate you to speak? What did you sign?"

Abdullah answered with silence. Poppy took hold of his index finger and pulled it back until she heard Abdullah scream in pain and the bone snapping.

"Please I don't know anything! Help!" he screamed in pain.

"The door is locked and no one is coming for you," Poppy whispered in his ear taking hold of his middle finger and snapping it also.

"Please! Please I don't know anything."

"I will keep snapping bones until you tell me what you signed Abdullah. What did you sign?"

Abdullah continued to scream as Poppy snapped his ring finger and pinky.

"What did you sign?" Poppy asked again as she twisted his thumb painfully.

"Nothing! Please!"

She twisted his thumb until it also snapped and Abdullah screamed.

"I can do this all day Abdullah. What did you sign?"

Abdullah whimpered as she took a hold of his forearm and hand at the junction of his wrist. Poppy began to apply pleasure and Abdullah cried out.

"Okay! Okay! Stop I will tell you!"

"What did you sign?"

Abdullah panted and didn't reply. Poppy twisted his wrist in response.

"The truth!" Abdullah said quickly, "The bomb is at the mall in Georgetown. Captain Herbert heard us talking about it at a bar."

"Who is 'us'?" Poppy asked twisting again.

"Max Kerns!" Abdullah yelled, "It was Max's idea! He killed Herbert and locked himself in the basement to frame Herbert and draw attention away so we could detonate the bomb!"

"And he framed you," Poppy said before she snapped Abdullah's wrist causing him to scream.

"Max killed Herbert and told me to lie about where the bomb was! Please! Everything was his idea."

"Did you lie to DiNozzo about everything?"

"Yes! Please stop hurting me!"

"Did you send Gibbs on a wild goose chase?"

"Yes!"

Poppy twisted his arm and heard the satisfying crack of Abdullah's ulna and radius cracking.

"I'll send Ducky to attend you," she said letting go of him and taking her cell phone out.

"Gibbs it's me. Abdullah lied. He was Morse coding the answer under the table when Tony was interviewing him for some dumb reason. The bomb is with Max Kerns at the shopping mall in Georgetown. I'm on my way there now. Kerns killed Herbert too. Call me when you get this," Poppy said reaching the bullpen quickly and grabbing her gear.

"Where's Gibbs?" Shepard asked coming into the bullpen, "Did he find out what happened to Herbert?"

"Abdullah just told me that it's Kerns. He sent Gibbs and the team on some goose chase. The bomb is at the shopping mall in Georgetown."

"My god," Jenny breathed, "I'll call in back up and a SWAT team."

"Tell them to meet me there and send Ducky to set Abdullah's fingers and hand," Poppy called as she ran out.

* * *

"Start evacuating people now," Poppy said over her earwig to the team that she'd brought along with her. She couldn't reach Ziva, Tony or Gibbs on her way over to the mall. They had to have shut their cell phones off and McGee wasn't answering. Abdullah had lied to them about the location of the bomb. She'd had to break every bone in his left arm but she'd gotten the right location at least.

Running down the hall to the lunch room that housed the main gas lines to and from the mall underneath the floor, Poppy halted seeing a huge six by six stack of C4 in the middle of the room. Five minutes were left till detonation as a member of the SWAT team stopped behind her.

"Holy shit," he mumbled.

"You better start praying because I don't think I can stop this," she told him taking out her cell phone. It was a gamble because the phone could very well detonate the bomb but she needed help. Quickly dialing McGee, she swore when she was sent to voice mail.

"Get out of here," Poppy told the SWAT member, "Get as many people away as you can as fast as you can and find out where the effing bomb squad is."

"Are you sure ma'am?" he asked looking at her nervously.

"Go Captain!" she yelled at him as she silently prayed that the next person she called would pick up.

"Abbey's lab, how can I help you?" Abbey said in a sing-song voice.

"Abbey! It's Poppy! Listen I know that you don't like me and I get that but I need your help to disarm a C4 bomb and I only have four minutes and five seconds till detonation. Please help me," Poppy begged quickly.

"Walk me through what it looks like," Abbey said in a serious voice.

Poppy explained that there were hundreds of dummy wires and that the bomb was six feet by six feet with enough C4 to take out the mall and several surrounding buildings.

"You have to cut the red wire near the base of clock," Abbey said with two minutes left to spare.

"Are you sure?" Poppy said trying to hide the tremor in her voice.

"Yes."

Closing her eyes, Poppy said a quick prayer and cut the red wire.

"Abbey it didn't work!" she yelled as the timer sped up.

"Then it has to be the green one!"

"You had better be damn sure about this!"

"I am! Just do it!"

Poppy cut the green wire and the timer stopped. The sound of relief sounded from her lips as she smiled.

"It stopped counting Abbey. Thank you!" Poppy said before she felt the crushing force of being tackled and dropping the phone.

"You bitch!" a voice she recognized as belonging to Max Kerns.

A fist connected with her cheek before Poppy registered what was happening. Kneeing Max in the gut, Poppy quickly got to her feet and blocked a kick that he tried to deliver to her chest.

"So blowing up the mall was your idea?" she taunted before giving a defensive punch which he blocked easily, "Now you're becoming a real man by beating up a woman?"

His next punch connected with her mouth and she could taste blood in her mouth.

"Don't make me kick your ass," Poppy told him confidently, "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit girls?"

The second punch he aimed at her she dodged before delivering a roundhouse kick to his hip. The kick caught Max unaware and Poppy took the opportunity to jump on his back. Wrapping her left arm around his neck, she grabbed the hair on the back of his head and focused as much strength as she could on cutting off air supply.

Max slammed her back against the wall in an attempt to get her off him and Poppy felt the pain in her shoulder of a semi healed bullet wound inflame. He slammed her back again and again until the pain became too much and her shoulder gave. Max took the opportunity and flipped her over him so that she landed on the concrete floor with a thud. Pain radiated up Poppy's shoulder as she realized he'd dislocated her shoulder in the process of flipping her.

"My father encouraged me to put woman in their place," Max grinned as he cracked his neck and walked over to her with a sinister smile. He picked Poppy up by the throat and slammed her against the wall again.

"Does it make you feel good? Feel like a man?" she taunted as she felt for her gun. Taking hold of it, Poppy closed her eyes and groaned in pain as Max tossed her to the floor again. The gun fell to the floor as Poppy tried to shake the black dots that had started to spot her vision.

"I don't think you realize that I hold the second detonator," Max taunted as he took apart her gun, "All I have to do is press a button and boom, we all burn."

Grabbing her by her French braid, Poppy gasped in pain as he hauled her over to the one table in the room. He knocked off all the open food containers and slammed her back onto the top.

"You're going to die Agent Noor," Max grinned talking out a long hunting knife, "I'm going to enjoy slitting your throat."

Poppy caught the eight inch blade with her bare hands before he could cut her throat. The blade sliced into her palms and she cried out in pain as she pushed back against Max and the blade with all her strength. Contrary to what she'd told Gibbs earlier, she wasn't ready to die yet. Stopping Kerns was a losing battle and her arm gave out as the pain became worse and worse. Until suddenly she realized in her pain hazed mind she could head-butt him. Slamming her head into his as hard as she could, Poppy felt the relief of him and the blade as Max staggered back in shock. Survival instincts kicked in as she delivered a series of roundhouse kicks to Max's head and neck until the young man keeled over unconscious.

She could hear footsteps coming down the hallway as she grabbed her gun and put it back together. The SWAT Captain burst into the room with Gibbs, Tony and Ziva following him as they all pointing their guns at Kerns' unconscious body on the floor.

* * *

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	5. Chapter Four: Not Over You

**I own nothing and all errors are my own:( Sorry! English isn't my first language.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Not Over You**

_"__..If you ask me how I'm doing  
I would say I'm doing just fine  
I would lie and say that you're not on my mind  
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two  
And finally I'm forced to face the truth,  
No matter what I say I'm not over you  
Not over you_

_Damn, damn girl you do it well_  
_And I thought you were innocent_  
_Took this heart and put it through hell_  
_But still you're magnificent_  
_I'm a boomerang, doesn't matter how you throw me_  
_I turn around and I'm back in the game_  
_Even better than the old me_  
_But I'm not even close without you_

_If you ask me how I'm doing_  
_I would say I'm doing just fine_  
_I would lie and say that you're not on my mind_  
_But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two_  
_And finally I'm forced to face the truth,_  
_No matter what I say I'm not over you_  
_Not over you_

_And if I had the chance to renew_  
_You know there isn't a thing I wouldn't do_  
_I could get back on the right track_  
_But only if you'd be convinced_  
_So until then..."_

**_~ "Not Over You" – Gavin DeGraw  
_**  
It was a small miracle that she'd managed to drive to NCIS with torn up hands, a concussion and dislocated shoulder. Leaving the keys in the car and car unlocked, she climbed out as McGee pulled up in another SUV next to her.

"Boss said you'd come back here. What the hell happened? Why didn't you stay at the crime scene? You never leave a crime scene!" McGee spouted off as he followed her in. Poppy ignored him and wiped some of the blood that had been on her hands on her white tank top in an attempt to clean off her hands.

"I was bored," she said keeping her back to him. She didn't want him to see her like this and she certainly didn't want his pity. She'd been through enough physical pain that this was nothing compared to what Heritage had done to her in Afghanistan but Tim, no matter how much he hated her, would insist on taking her to the hospital and she couldn't go to the hospital. Going to the hospital would bring up questions that she couldn't answer and would put her in the medical database that would tip off Heritage to where she was and that her defenses were down. Shepard had been adamant about her staying off the grid plenty of times.

Walking in, Poppy had managed to keep her back completely towards him till they stepped onto the elevator. She turned around and McGee froze in the path of the elevator doors wearing a look of shock.

"What the hell happened to you? Is that all your blood? Why didn't you say something earlier?" he said shooting off questions again as he instantly was in front of her applying pressure to a cut on her head that she didn't even know was there with a handkerchief that he kept in his pocket.

The physical pain in her hands made it hard not to tremble as she aimed to hit the basement button but failed and hit the first floor button. McGee saw what she was trying to do and hit the basement button for her as he continued to apply pressure.

"Let me see your hands," he demanded.

"I'm fine," she protested as she cradled them to her chest praying that the bleeding would stop and the pain would go away.

"And I'm the Queen of England. Show me your hands Poppy," McGee demanded again.

Poppy glared at him with as much strength as she could while he glared hard at her too. Reluctantly, she opened her hands and showed him the deep gashes in her palms from where she'd stopped the blade from slicing her throat.

"How…" McGee trailed off as he gently held her wrists and stared at her hands with confusion as he wiped some blood away with the handkerchief.

"It was either this or a knife in my throat," she told him attempting to shrug but only causing more pain in her shoulder. Poppy yanked her hands back unwisely causing even more pain as the elevator doors opened. Walking around McGee and out of the elevator, Poppy entered the morgue to see Palmer and Ducky standing over a corpse.

"Afternoon Duck," she greeted as she hopped up onto one of the metal examining tables using only the heel of her hand.

"Did you get your bad guy?" Ducky asked not looking up from his work.

"Yeah! When you get a chance I need your help with some stitches Ducky. Nothing to pressing," Poppy replied stuffing a brand new paper towel roll behind her head as pillow.

"Ducky she needs stitches and x-rays now," McGee said taking control of the situation. He was alarmed that Poppy hadn't gone to the hospital but instead came back to NCIS headquarters.

Ducky looked up in alarm, "X-rays?"

He quickly turned over the autopsy over to Palmer and rushed over to Poppy.

"Good God! What happened to light field work?" he demanded as he examined her hands.

"I had to stop a bomber Ducky before he slit my throat."

"Yes well was this a part of it too?" he asked gesturing at her hands.

"It was either my hands or my throat," Poppy repeated, "It's my shoulder I'm worried about though."

"Timothy, give me a hand here," Ducky said ignoring her as he quickly gathered the appropriate medical supplies, "She needs to go to the hospital."

"No hospital," she protested with a pleading look as she mouthed the word 'Heritage'. Ducky understood and nodded.

"Hold her down Timothy," he said changing into a new surgical gown.

"But you just said she needs to go to the hospital. She needs to be-" McGee protested.

"And now I'm changing my mind," Ducky snapped, "Get out or help me hold Poppy still while I reset her shoulder."

McGee looked torn for a moment but nodded, "I'll stay."

"Call and tell Jethro I'd like to talk to him the moment he sets foot in this building after this," Ducky declared to as he slipped on gloves.

McGee nodded and Poppy exhaled feeling even more pain make itself known, "Cauterize my hands Ducky. I can't be out of work long. Stitches are worthless."

Ducky raised his eye brows, "Are you sure?"

"Ducky they're long, thin cuts that will take many stitches. Cauterize them instead."

Ducky looked like he was debating for a moment before nodding, "Alright. They aren't deep enough to warrant surgery anyways."

"Thank you."

Ducky looked at Palmer who knew what was being asked and went away.

"Poppy we have to get you out of the leather coat. Sit up," Ducky said quickly and both he and McGee watched as she struggled to sit up. McGee stepped up and put his arm under her good shoulder. He helped her to sit up and watched as she tried to mask how pain she was really in.

"Timothy, get her coat," Ducky said as Palmer came back with equipment that could be used to cauterize Poppy's hands.

Taking her arms out of one coat sleeve was simple and he did it. Trying not to jostle her dislocated shoulder, McGee felt bad as he heard her gasp in pain as he removed the other sleeve of the coat.

"Timothy you're going to have to hold Poppy down as I reset the shoulder," Ducky said, "Lay back down Poppy."

McGee guided her head back and placed his hands were Ducky had indicated for him to provide resistance as her shoulder popped back into the socket.

"This is going to hurt Poppy," Ducky warned.

"This will be nothing like Afghanistan," Poppy snapped back, "That hurt."

McGee's head jerked up to her face at her words, "What about Afghanistan?"

Ducky chose at that moment to pull Poppy's arm and her shoulder snapped back into place. Blood pooled by her hand as she squeezed her fist and gritted her teeth in pain trying not to scream.

"What is she talking about Ducky?" McGee demanded alarmed at the word 'Afghanistan'.

"Don't ask me," Ducky said releasing her arm, "You're going to have to hold her wrists for the next part."

McGee held Poppy's wrist and looked at her with alarm seeing how much pain she was in, "Can we give her anything?"

"No, I need to be alert at all times," Poppy breathed as she struggled not to cry from the pain.

"Look at me," McGee pleaded with her, "You're in a lot of pain and there's nothing wrong with taking something for it."

Poppy shook her head and fought back tears as she could feel Ducky touching her hand.

"Hey," McGee said softly, "Look at me. Why can't I take you to a hospital? Tell me why can't I take you to get help?"

"They have a national database at government hospitals," Poppy gasped, "I can't be in that database."

"Why?" McGee pressed again trying to understand what was happening.

"I can't be Timothy," Poppy breathed as she fought more tears, "I can't tell you why but I have orders to not be in that database. Please don't ask me more."

"Okay, okay," McGee soothed as he held her wrist down, "It's gonna be alright. Just look at me and relax. Okay?"

Ducky cauterized her hand at that moment. Poppy jerked up and screamed as she buried her head in his chest. McGee cradled the back of her head with his hand and pressed his lips to her hair. Seeing Poppy in pain was agonizing because there was nothing he could do.

"It's okay, shh, it's almost done," he soothed as he looked to see Ducky dressing the wound and cooling it.

Poppy laid back on the metal table and he watched as tears fell down her cheeks. He rarely ever saw her cry in the years that they'd been together and he knew she had to be in an incredible amount of pain to not even care that she was crying openly.

"Why are you here?" she breathed, "You keep punishing me and then you come back. It's torture Timothy."

McGee was silent and didn't answer her as Ducky took care of her other hand. This time Poppy passed out from the pain as Jenny Shepard entered the morgue.

* * *

"Why does she have orders not to be in a government hospital database?" McGee asked heatedly as he stood in Shepard's office with Gibbs and the Assistant Director.

"I issued her orders not to be in any hospital database over two years ago," Jenny Shepard admitted, "She's the daughter and sister of two senators who often receive death threats. I didn't want her being harmed or threatened in anyway."

McGee raised an eyebrow, "I've never heard that from her until today."

"She hasn't needed to go to a hospital yet. As NCIS agents we can't have her in the database."

"Then why didn't we take her to a normal hospital?" McGee pressed, "She needed medical attention!"

"She's already been deleted from those databases too," Shepard replied icily, "You're starting to ask questions about things that are above your pay grade Agent McGee. Tread carefully."

"McGee," Gibbs said quietly, "Take Noor home and watch her. She might be a little shaken up still."

McGee left quietly and Gibbs looked at Shepard, "You sure you know what you're doing? Noor should have been taken to a hospital. She shouldn't have had her hands cauterized in the basement of this building."

"She can't be in the system. Heritage has already hacked into the databases twice looking for her address or any information on her. We can't risk her showing up in another database somewhere else. When she was in Germany, Heritage hacked the database and found her old address. Turned up at the old house where she and McGee lived and shot the family to death. I managed to keep it out of the press and away from both her and McGee. We won't be as lucky next time. I've already told Noor that she needs to be untraceable and under the radar as much as possible," Jenny said quietly, "Heritage contacted her and threatened to put a bullet in her head. He's looking for her and he won't stop till he kills her. I'm trying to keep my agent alive Gibbs. What would you do?"

"Recognize that Poppy is cracking," Gibbs replied without missing a beat, "She broke fifteen bones in Abdullah's arm today."

"She stopped a terror attack," Jenny reasoned.

"She's become reckless and I don't like to see an agent like that. She has trauma from the torture and this entire operation. She needs to being seeing someone about."

Shepard looked at Leon Vance, "What do you think?"

"Noor did give us results but she is reckless. Who is to say she won't kill someone next? She needs to be pulled from the field in my opinion. This is too much too soon for her," Leon stated, "We need to be easing her into work not tossing her in and hoping she won't drown."

"I can't do that. Jonathan Heritage is on the loose and selling out American agents. I need Noor now more than ever to track him down. Send her to all the therapy you want Gibbs but I'm not pulling her from the field."

Gibbs clenched his fist and shook his head, "Shepard this is going to end badly."

"At least we will have Jonathan Heritage in the end. That's what matters."

"At what price are you will to pay for that?" Vance asked.

"I will pay any price because I have orders from the Pentagon to get Heritage and I will do just that," Shepard answered determinedly, "I refuse to let this country lose anymore agents in the Middle East because that son of a bitch is selling out."

"You will have killed Noor in the process. Can you live with her blood on your hands?" Gibbs asked before leaving the office.

* * *

_A metal bed frame that was bolted to the floor was standing in the middle of the dim cement room. The abandoned building was hot and the air was stale. Her wrists hurt from where the plastic restraints bit into her skin. _

_"What does your government know about me?" Heritage asked again as he sat across from her at a wooden table and cut into a steak._

_"It's your government too," Poppy said. Her throat was dry and she was starving. They hadn't fed her in a week and the steak was meant to tempt her into telling him what he wanted. She knew that it would start with food and only get worse. _

_"I've renounced my citizenship," Heritage smirked, "Hungry?"_

_"I'd rather starve than eat anything you give me you traitor." _

_Heritage stood up and walked over to her with a cruel smile, "You won't like what else I give you."_

_His fist connected low in her stomach and she felt intense pain pass through her body. _

_"You know I don't even care about what the Navy or Marines think of me. Just knowing I have you is enough," he whispered, "I'm going to cause you so much pain Poppy. You'll be screaming for that geeky husband of yours in no time and he won't be coming for you. He doesn't love you." _

_"That's not true," she breathed before Heritage delivered another punch to her lower stomach._

_"He's going to forget about you. You'll be just a memory Poppy," he whispered. _

_"You're wrong," she denied trying to catch her breath._

_Heritage smiled took out a small metronome and set it down on the table. It began to make a clicking sound slowly. _

_"Every click is one more second he forgets you," Heritage smiled, "Your own government isn't looking for you. No one cares about you Poppy. No one likes you and I will crush your resolve at the end of everything. I will make you wish you were never born. I will cause you so pain that you can't even begin to imagine what it will be like. The whole time you'll call out to him for help and he'll never come for you because no one wants you and no one is coming for you."_

_He left the room and closed the door behind him. The room became pitch black and the clicking continued…_

Poppy bolted up and breathed heavily as she put her bandaged hand over her forehead trying to push away the memory. McGee was at her side in a second and looked at her with concern.

"You alright?" he asked putting his hands on her shoulders as she looked down at the floor.

"Bad dream," she lied, "I dreamt…never mind."

"Come on. Let's get you home," McGee said quietly, "I have orders to take you home and keep an eye on you."

Poppy didn't fight him and was silent for the rest of the evening.

* * *

McGee woke up to an empty bed and rolled over to look at the alarm clock. It was just after three and he quickly got up when he felt a chill and realized that a window was open and Poppy was missing. They might have had the most complicated relationship in the world but after seeing her in so much pain, McGee knew he could never hate her like he wanted to. A part of him would always love her despite what she'd done. He couldn't deny that any longer but she'd hurt him badly and he didn't know if he could ever forgive her for all the lies and cheating.

Walking into the living room, McGee went over to the open French doors that led to the balcony and stopped. A cold feeling settled in his stomach as the sheer drapery blew in the cold breeze. What if she'd jumped? Something about her had been off lately and he'd chosen to ignore it up until that moment. She'd never been as brutal or violent as she had on this case with the Abdullah kid and she'd never been as paranoid about answering her door with a gun. Her words about the pain came rushing back to him from earlier and a painful knot rested in his stomach as he pushed the drapery back and stepped outside onto the small balcony area.

She sat on the cement with her head resting back against the building. Her legs were pulled up to her chest and tears were falling from her eyes as she stared up.

"I read your book," she said holding up a copy, "I'm the crazy ex-wife who cheated aren't I? You cast you so well. But tell me something. Am I crazy Timothy? Am I out of control? Am I…insane?"

"You're not crazy," he told her as he grabbed the quilt from the back of the chair next to the door and regretted instantly ever having written about her in his book. It was childish and it clearly hurt her much more than he ever thought it would.

"Gibbs asked me if I was. I feel crazy," she admitted as he sat down next to her and wrapped her up in the quilt. Her skin was icy cold and McGee wondered with concern how long she'd been sitting outside. He pulled her close and could feel her silent tear making his t-shirt damp.

"I'm sorry about the book," he told her, "I didn't think before I wrote it and I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt."

Silence filled the air and McGee wondered silently if this went deeper than the book. His words to her lately hadn't been kind and he'd been cruel to her sometimes just because he could.

"Do you hate me?" she asked after they had sat in silence for a while. She pulled herself away from him and went back inside without listening to him even try to respond.

"Poppy," McGee said as he scrambled up to follow her. He closed the door behind him and flipped the living room lights on as Poppy collapsed on the floor by the couch. Her legs were pulled back up to her chest as she sat rocking back and forth as she sobbed.

"Everything is my fault and you have every right to hate me. I hate myself to for what's happened," she sobbed as she fisted her hair and shook her head, "I don't like any of this and I'm so sorry! Everything is my fault. Everything is my fault. I wish I could tell you everything. He should have just put a bullet in my head and finished everything when he had the chance. Why did he let me live? Everything is my fault. Everything is my fault and I should be dead."

McGee felt helpless as he watched Poppy rock back and forth. He knew that Shepard had said not to take her to a hospital but it was obvious that something had happened and Poppy needed medical attention of some kind. She was having a break down and he was worried that she'd do something violent to herself. This went so much deeper than just her reading his book. Something was seriously wrong.

Keeping his eyes on her, McGee walked to the kitchen and grabbed his cell phone planning to call the one person he knew that could help them both.

Gibbs.

* * *

The look of relief on McGee's face when he opened the door would have made Gibbs chuckle in any other situation.

"I was just getting ready to call an ambulance," McGee said as he let him in, "She's in the bathroom and I…I've never seen her like this Gibbs. I was so worried and I didn't know who else to call."

"You did the right thing McGee," he replied, "Go make some coffee. I'm going to go talk to her and don't call the ambulance unless I tell you too. It could spook her."

McGee nodded and Gibbs found his way easily to the master bathroom. He stopped in the doorway and felt a rush of sadness when he saw her. Poppy was curled up in bathtub with her head resting against the tile as she stared off into space with a blank look on her face. He'd called Vance and they'd both agreed that Poppy wasn't stable to in the field. She was having the breakdown that doctor's had been anticipating since they'd started treating her in Germany. No one went through months of torture and stress like she had without having a mental breakdown at some point.

The past few days had been stressful and must have triggered whatever had happened tonight. In truth, he'd seen the signs of her breaking the moment she'd walked into the office. This case though had been enough to break her all the way that mattered. Everything was too much for her and he was angry that Shepard had pushed her into the field when clearly Poppy wasn't ready. Sitting on the floor next to her, Gibbs looked at her and tried to make eye contact but there was a dead look in Poppy's eyes.

"I was wrong about McGee Poppy," he started with a small smile, "He loves you. He loves you a lot. He's worried about you and he's pacing the living room ready to lose his job if it means he can take you to the hospital for help. I'm worried about you. What's going on in your head? Talk to me Noor. Tell me what's going on."

She continued to stare unblinkingly at the wall and Gibbs wondered briefly if McGee was right about needing an ambulance for Poppy. She was near catatonic. He'd already decided that he'd demand that Jenny Shepard be relieved of the Heritage operation. Her obsession with catching Heritage reminded him of the case where she'd put Tony undercover. This time, that obsession and drive to catch the bad guys was out of control and she was going to kill Poppy if she kept pushing like she had been for months. Poppy wasn't ready for what Shepard wanted her to do so soon after having been tortured. Not many agents could keep it together for as long as Noor had kept it together. Insubordination, recklessness and violently breaking Abdullah's bones had all be signs that this was coming and it had come quickly.

"I want to help you so much," Gibbs tried again, "Tell me what's wrong and I will help you."

Poppy turned her head to look at him and tears trailed down her cheeks, "I dreamt of him."

"Who?" Gibbs asked quietly fearing he already knew the answer.

"Heritage…it was the day he began torturing me," she said so quietly he barely heard her, "He set a metronome on the table and left. He said with each tick someone forgot me…He left me in the dark for days and then he came and…and…and he pulled out my teeth in the back of my mouth. That was only the beginning. Darkness for days and then pain that never went away was his method."

Gibbs didn't say anything but let her talk on her own. He couldn't say anything because she had gone through the worst kind of torture, the torture of both the mind and the body at the same time. He'd read her medical file from Germany. She'd barely slept without some kind of sedation and people who startled her awake were hurt. A young nurse had nearly gotten her throat slashed because she'd tried to give Noor an IV while she'd been asleep.

Gibbs was astonished that any doctor would in good conscious clear Poppy for duty. He cared to some degree for Jenny Shepard but she had been truly irresponsible in her care as a handler for Noor. No agent should be in this position and he pitied Noor because he couldn't imagine what it had to be like to being told by your handler that she refusing extraction and to not break during torture.

"I'm afraid to sleep. Timothy went to sleep but all I could do was lay there and memories came back. I could feel everything," Poppy said tearfully, "I don't want to sleep after everything that happened today. I just want the memories and pain to stop. Please make it stop."

Gibbs took out the syringe that he'd brought with him courtesy of Ducky, "This will make you sleep. I know that you're exhausted Noor but all you have to do is tell me if you want it or not."

He held it up and showed it to her but kept it out of reach. She wasn't stable at the moment and she could hurt herself or them with it. Poppy eventually nodded and closed her eyes. Gibbs moved to crouch down next to her and quickly gave her the injection. She was passed out in minutes and looked relaxed. Standing up, Gibbs went to the living room to see McGee pacing nervously.

"How is she?" he asked quickly, "Do we need to take her to the hospital?"

"She's asleep in the tub," Gibbs said holding up the syringe, "I gave her something to sleep so she'll be out for a while. We need to talk after you get her to bed."

McGee nodded and went to the bathroom to help her. She was asleep in the tub just like Gibbs had said. His heart ached seeing her like this. She may have cheated on him but she was still his wife in the end and he did love her. Seeing her in this much pain made him feel helpless and gave him the overwhelming urge to try and fix whatever was wrong.

Somehow he had managed to carry her from the bathroom to the bedroom. Pulling the blankets back and laying her down, McGee sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear before covering her up with the thick comforters.

"What's going on with her Boss?" he asked knowing that Gibbs was behind him.

"Starting tomorrow she's being placed on temporary desk duty with minimal work and plenty of restrictions. Assistant Director Vance and I already decided that she'll start seeing a therapist for the trauma."

"What?" McGee asked standing up quickly, "Trauma?"

"Do you not see the symptoms McGee? Look at her behavior since she started. She's insubordinate, recklessness, she violently broke that kid's arm for answers…she's not sleeping and I'm guessing that she answers her door with her gun behind her back and not to mention she's having nightmares. It's not textbook PTSD but I'm guessing the longer it goes untreated, the worse she's gonna get McGee."

"Explain to me how the hell this happened that she got it in the first place," McGee demanded.

"That is classified."

Surprise crossed McGee's face, "She wasn't lying about that operation was she."

"I can't say anything about it Tim. You know how that works but yes, Poppy was involved in an operation in Afghanistan that went badly wrong."

McGee looked back at Poppy as she lay in the bed asleep, "It doesn't mean she wasn't having an affair though. How do you explain all those pictures?"

"You don't," Gibbs said, "You either trust her or you don't McGee. Make your decision and don't play with her heart and head while you decide. Not in the condition that she's in. I want you to stay with her tomorrow and I don't expect to see either of you in the office."

McGee nodded and Gibbs left the apartment without another word.

* * *

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	6. Chapter Five: Skyscraper

**All errors are my own:( Sorry!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Skyscraper**

_"Skies are crying  
I am watching catching teardrops in my hands  
Only silence, as it's ending, like we never had a chance  
Do you have to make me feel like there's nothing left of me?_

_You can take everything I have_  
_You can break everything I am_  
_Like I'm made of glass_  
_Like I'm made of paper_  
_Go on and try to tear me down_  
_I will be rising from the ground_  
_Like a skyscraper_  
_Like a skyscraper_

_As the smoke clears I awaken and untangle you from me_  
_Would it make you feel better to watch me while I bleed?_  
_All my windows still are broken but I'm standing on my feet_

_You can take everything I have_  
_You can break everything I am_  
_Like I'm made of glass_  
_Like I'm made of paper_  
_Go on and try to tear me down_  
_I will be rising from the ground_  
_Like a skyscraper…"_

**_~ "Skyscraper" – Demi Lovato_**

Poppy was sitting on a bar stool at the counter when Tim walked into his kitchen the next morning. Her bandaged hands were in her lap as she stared blankly at the wall.

"I was gonna make pancakes if you want them," he said slowly walking over so he stood on the opposite side of the counter, "Did you want some?"

"What did Gibbs tell you last night?" Poppy asked looking at him, "I could you two talking but it was muffled."

McGee moved back over and sat down on the second stool next to her, "He said you were in Afghanistan."

"Yes. The day after we... had that fight in kitchen I left."

"Why didn't say anything to me baby? Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" McGee asked as he reached out and brushed a tear away from her cheek.

"What should I have said to you Timothy? You tell me what you have believed that day."

McGee was quiet realizing that he probably wouldn't have listened to her. She'd said nothing because nothing she said would have changed anything for him.

"What happened over there? Talk to me Poppy, I'm ready to listen to whatever you tell me," he tried again

She looked over at him, "I was tortured. How are you going to fix that?"

He looked at her in confusion as he tried to understand what was happening, "Who tortured you in Afghanistan?"

She was silent and when he tried to pull her into a hug, Poppy jerked away and stood up.

"It doesn't matter who or what happened. It just happened," she said quietly.

The doorbell rang but McGee ignored it, "Gibbs wants you to go talk to someone. I agree with him."

"Nothing is going to change what happened to me," Poppy said staring at the closed door as the bell rang again, "You should get that."

"No, I'm not gonna get," McGee told her as he walked over and gently held onto her elbows, "We have to talk about what happened and it doesn't matter if I have security clearance or not. What matters is us and talking about what happened in the past few years. Because things have happened and I want to help you and be there for you if I can no matter what."

"Do you think I cheated?" Poppy asked him looking up into his eyes, "Do you think I did everything in those pictures?"

McGee was silent and the doorbell rang again.

"Go answer the door," Poppy told him quietly realizing he still doubted everything.

Her cell phone started ringing in the bedroom and she left to get it. Looking at the screen, the unlisted number gave her a chill and she knew instantly who it would be.

"You're a hard woman to find darling," Heritage drawled on the line, "But I found you."

"What do you want?"

"Look outside the bedroom window," he told her and she stiffened, "There's a man in the building across the street with a sniper rifle."

Poppy pushed the curtain back and spotted the man.

"I thought you would want to kill me with your own hands," she said letting the curtain fall back down.

"I do. The sniper isn't for you. It's for your husband."

Her blood turned cold as her whole body trembled, "Why?"

"I will shoot him unless you leave the apartment through the fire exit outside the bedroom window."

"Why is it so important that I leave?"

"You're my darling and you're going to break your orders if you open your mouth again. As punishment I'll be forced to shoot your husband. You have three minutes to leave the apartment. Clock starts now. Goodbye darling."

Poppy quickly grabbed a pair of yoga pants that she'd seen in a drawer and she assumed were Crystal's along with a fleece North Face coat. She opened the window and slipped out into the early morning.

* * *

McGee looked at Crystal as she stood in his doorway.

"Now is not a good time," he said with an apologetic look.

Crystal raised an eyebrow, "Is someone over?"

"I have company, yes," McGee admitted.

Crystal stiffened, "Another woman?"

"I have my wife over. She's going through a rough time and needed help last night."

Crystal tried forced herself into the apartment and McGee tried to grab her.

"No I'm not letting you in," he said trying to hold her back, "She's upset and seeing you will make it worse."

"So you're cheating on me with her."

"Technique I'm cheating on her with you," McGee said and Crystal looked at him like she going to smack him.

"You told me she was a cheating whore. Why would you want to be in the same room as her?"

"Don't call her that. I made a mistake. We all do and even she's not perfect," he defended.

"So she didn't cheat on you? Really Tim you have all the pictures. You've seen them and she's manipulating you. You told me she's a former CIA operative. They practically taught her to lie. She keeps telling you that she was on some secret assignment but we both know she was off fucking some guy. Don't lie about. Those pictures are enough evidence. Would you wake up and smell the coffee! She's playing you right now like a fiddle. Besides, we have bigger problems."

"Like what?"

Crystal took out an ultrasound picture and held it up for him to see, "I'm pregnant."

* * *

Gibbs had been expecting a call from McGee. That Poppy had run away didn't surprise him, what interested him more was knowing why she was spooked. Abby had traced her cell phone and discovered that an unlisted number called her shortly before McGee had called saying Noor was gone and his fire exit had been used.

Gibbs would have bet his paycheck that Heritage had called her and spooked her. He'd gotten the phone call in the middle of a meeting with Jenny, Vance, Ducky and their superiors in regards to the Heritage op. Jenny had been effectively removed as Poppy's handler and placed on probation. She was lucky that she hadn't been removed as director though. Vance had been put in charge of the operation and he'd been made Poppy's handler. It had been agreed that Poppy would undergo and psych and physical evaluation again to determine if she was field ready. Gibbs knew without a doubt she wouldn't pass it and had asked that the evaluation be in a few weeks when Poppy had had some type of treatment as dictated by Ducky.

Jenny Shepard's actions were also reviewed and Gibbs had been shocked to find that it had been her who had sent the photographs to McGee. Her reason had been that Poppy was becoming unfocused and McGee was a distraction that couldn't be afforded. She'd tried to correct the situation by putting McGee and Poppy on the same team but had only managed to make a colossal mess of the entire operation from start to finish. Noor had been the only thing holding the entire mission together and she'd become a one woman operation doing everything in order to catch Heritage while Jenny got credit. After leaving the meeting, Gibbs felt like he'd seen a side to Jenny that he'd never believed could exist. Noor being on a breakdown didn't surprise him at all. What surprised him was how long she'd kept everything together. Noor been working none stop since she'd woken up in Germany and Shepard had blackmailed a doctor into giving Noor field clearance when she was barely ready.

Gibbs had agreed with Vance when the assistant director had announced that Poppy would be placed on light desk duty until she was ready to continue on. Heritage was off the grid and many of his associates had been silent. There was no use in wasting man power over the issue until they had collected more data to say otherwise.

Parking the Dodge Charger, Gibbs got out of the car with two coffees and began walking to the park bench that Noor had escaped to last time hoping she was there and uninjured. He felt a sigh of relief leave his body when he found her sitting on a bench by herself.

"I figured you'd find me," she said looking at him as he sat down next to her.

"I wasn't expecting a panicked call from McGee this early," Gibbs said, "Have a coffee."

"Thanks," Poppy said taking the coffee.

"Heritage contacted you again."

He reply was more a statement than a question.

"I forgot government cellphones could have their histories read anywhere."

"What did he tell you?"

"That he would have Timothy killed if I didn't leave. He had placed a sniper in the building across the street. I made eye contact with the man who was supposed to shoot my husband if I didn't leave."

"Why did he want you to leave?"

"I was going to tell Timothy everything but someone interrupted by knocking on the door and that's when I got the call," Poppy replied, "I was going to tell him everything Gibbs. Heritage had to have bugged the place or something. Maybe the guy across the street had some kind of listening device," Poppy said angrily.

"So you left and didn't say anything to McGee?"

"I had three minutes to get out of the building. Telling McGee would have meant questions and I figured he liked having no bullet in his head so I left on time."

Gibbs nodded. He found nothing wrong with what she'd done in order to keep McGee and whoever was at the door alive.

"I had a meeting this morning," he told her after a few minutes of silence, "Jenny Shepard is no longer your handler or involved in any way with this operation."

Poppy looked at him in surprised, "They're ending the investigation?"

"No, Leon Vance was put in charge and I will be your handler."

She nodded and took out an envelope from her pocket.

"What's this?" Gibbs asked opening it after she'd given it to him.

"I have a contact in Moscow," Poppy stated, "His name is Sergei Ivankov. He sent me information about Heritage."

"Does this have anything to do with that terrorist Ali Jericho?"

"Yeah, I just finished decoding the information that Sergei sent."

"You didn't give all the information to Shepard?" Gibbs asked surprised.

"I've learned that sometimes it best to play my card carefully."

"What did you learn?"

"Heritage has been selling out agents to jihadists through Ali Jericho, the son of a wealthy banker in the middle east. This is so much bigger than we first thought Gibbs. Heritage is building an organization with American secrets. He's getting more and more contacts though out the world and has started selling the secrets of other countries too including the UK, France and Russia. He's kidnapping military personnel who have the ability to give him bits and piece of information and selling both the person and the information for profit. The cover is that he's selling them into the sex trade while dealing with the jihadist under the table. Those first sixteen women were meant to throw us off while he sold the secrets to enemies of the state. My guess is that he's got moles and people on his payroll in the Pentagon and across the world because he's making transactions worth millions Gibbs in the United States, UK, France and Russia. That's some serious information he's giving out," Poppy said as she watched a few kids feed the ducks on the pond.

"So we find Ali Jericho we find Heritage? Is that what Ivankov said?"

"Yes. Jericho is new to this game and either we capture him and he cracks during interrogation or he screws up and we find Heritage through paper trail. It's actually brilliant on Heritage's part…using the sex trade as a way to cover his aiding terrorism."

"And this Ivankov…can trust him?" Gibbs asked as he stuffed the envelope in his coat.

"I'd trust Sergei with my life," she told him truthfully, "I can't say that about many people. He's a good person who loves his country and wants what we want."

"How does he send you information?"

Poppy smiled, "Sergei and I don't talk on the phone. He sends me old first and second editions of books that have Russian codes in the pages. In a second package he'll send a key to the code."

"How do you send him messages?"

"My mother taught me that a good agent never reveals how they pass on information."

Gibbs shook his head, "I'm assuming that Sergei is a veteran of the Cold War? Books with codes?"

"His father was," Noor smirked, "He's younger than me."

"Why do I get the feeling that many of your contacts are young men?"

"I'm not above using my good looks or body to get information to protect and serve my country."

"Some men would call you femme fatale."

"McGee calls me a cheater."

"Do you consider yourself a cheater?" Gibbs asked as he looked over at her.

Poppy paused and looked down at the coffee in her hands, "I'm someone who will cause him pain again and again. That makes me worse than a cheater. I'm more faithful to my country than my husband. Does that make me a bad person?"

"It makes you one hell of an agent. The CIA is probably kicking themselves that they lost you," he replied seeing that she felt a quite a bit shame according to her body language.

She cracked a smile and held up her phone as she turned to look at him, "I've received a few calls from their director. Apparently they would like me to go to the Koreas for them."

"Will you?"

Poppy raised an eyebrow, "I've been tortured enough for this life time."

"Fair enough Noor. I want you to start from the beginning," Gibbs said changing the topic, "Tell me everything about the Heritage operation and don't leave out any details."

She nodded and looked back out at the ducks, "I was working on a joint task with the CIA and Homeland two years ago. The officer's name was Bart Crenshaw. At the time he and I were investigating claims from a source in Iran that had said that Americans were defecting to the enemy and becoming terrorists. When I was pulled by Tom Hollander and told to report to the Director of NCIS at the time Tom Morrow."

"What happened then?" Gibbs pressed again.

"I reported to him in early March. I was told that there was a former military officer selling women into the sex trade. A team from Israel had identified him as Captain Jonathan Heritage. He was living in the States and I was tasked to collect information against him to use as evidence that he was selling those women. The first time I met Heritage was April 12, two years ago. He's a history enthusiast and there was a Titanic exhibit in Washington at the time. I planted myself there and waited. I'm the type he likes to sell as a cover. Brown, light eyes, medium skin. He and I exchanged numbers and after words I reported the encounter to Tom Morrow. He and I worked together for those first few months," Poppy replied quietly.

"When was Jenny assigned to be your handler?"

"Beginning of June, end of May. She wanted answers and fast. Sometimes I couldn't deliver what she wanted. The risk was too much and I would blow my cover. It was frustrating that she couldn't understand that gathering information takes time. She pushed for thing that I couldn't give her."

"Like what?" Gibbs asked taking a sip of his coffee.

"Copies of bank statement, phone conversations…everything. Shepard wanted everything and I couldn't give it to her because half the time it wasn't there."

"What happened next?"

"Heritage and I started to 'date'," Poppy said making air quotations at the word date, "I retained an apartment and such during that time as a part of my cover."

"What was the cover?"

"My cover was that I worked as a school teacher. It was when Jenny who wiped any databases at the national level of my name and changed anything that she could so my cover wouldn't be blown. She told me not go to hospital or anywhere that Heritage could use to ID me for any reason as agent."

"You led a double life basically for months," Gibbs stated.

"Yes. I built an entire case against him. Becky Jasper was the first victim. She was Navy officer of high rank. He kidnapped, tortured her and sold for ten thousand dollars on Christmas Eve two years ago. Sarah Gatsby, Tina Colton, Jenna Cox, Freya Georges and Zoe Law were his next five victims that were tortured and sold within in six weeks afterwards. Laura Harris, Ester Phillips, Cleo Moran, Vanessa Parker and Hannah Albert were the next five woman sold. It was around February when they were sold. Nearly a year after the operation had begun. It was also at that time that Heritage started getting suspicious."

"Suspicious of what?"

"Of the operation," Poppy said, "That was the first time I reported to Jenny that I thought that Heritage might have had friends in high places that could identify me and what I was doing."

"Do you think he made you then?"

"I don't know. He may have or may not have. He never really indicated one way or another. I told Jenny we had to be carefully because Heritage could spook easily, run and we'd never catch him."

"She disagreed?"

"Yes."

"What about the other girls?" Gibbs asked.

"Heritage sold them in March. I learned from an email of his that I had hacked that he was going to go to Kabul for some kind of meeting with a contact called The City of Palm Trees about selling a supposed seventeenth girl. I believe now that the contact he was meeting was Ali Jericho and the seventeenth girl must have been code for something that Jericho wanted."

"Why do you think it was Jericho?"

"In the Old Testament, Jericho is referred to as the city palm trees," Poppy replied before taking her first sip of coffee, "According to Sergei, Jericho's mother is Jewish."

"What were Shepard's orders after that information was recovered?"

"She told me to go to and do the surveillance of the met and Heritage's movements in Afghanistan. The operation had been going for nearly a year at that point."

"You left for Afghanistan, what happened then?"

"I contacted Sergei."

"Why?"

"Sergei's brother was killed by the Taliban while he was on assignment. He spent months hunting the men who killed Alexei and I knew that Heritage was becoming a person of interest in Moscow because of the supposed meeting with Jericho. At the time there was no identification of who Jericho was but he was on their radar for a supposed bombing that connected him to jihadist in Yekaterinburg three years ago. The blast killed four hundred people including a member of Russian intelligence who was working on identifying who was behind the murder of Russian politician who was against Islam. Sergei had connections in Afghanistan that I needed and in return his government would get information to forward their investigation of Jericho and his associates," Poppy explained.

"What happened those first few months?" Gibbs asked before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Not much. Heritage spent most of time with prostitutes and it became clear that there was no seventeenth girl. I felt like we were on a wild goose chase until three months into the stake out Jericho showed up. The conversation was brief and…Heritage walked of that hotel with a suitcase that had blood diamonds worth ten million dollars inside. Sergei thought at the time that maybe Heritage was a courier for Jericho. We never thought that Heritage was selling out American, Russian, British or French agents in the Middle East."

"How'd he figure out that you and Ivankov were watching him?"

"Nearly six months into the operation, we were observing a meeting between him and Jericho in a café. Sergei and I were sitting when Heritage walked in to the meet. He spotted us and he bolted. We went after him knowing the operation was blown but one of Heritage's hit Sergei with a car. I took him back to our apartment and contact his handler in Moscow. They told me that I had get him to a safe house just outside of Kabul where they would take over."

"Did you get him to the safe house?"

"Yes. I took Sergei there and came back to Kabul. My mother taught something every agent should know. You always have an emergency backpack. You put money, passports, a gun whatever you need to get out of the situation alive. I kept my pack under the bed but I stupidly didn't take with me. I was at the apartment when called Jenny. I told her that I had been made and I had to get out. I was leaving Kabul because Heritage was going to come after me and if he could have Sergei hit a car, he could a whole hell of a lot worse to me. She ordered to stay and we got into a fight over it. If I had trusted what my mother taught me…Heritage wouldn't have captured me and I would have gotten out of Kabul in one piece," Poppy said somberly.

"She taught you to trust your instincts."

"Something was telling me that I should have stayed with Sergei. I shouldn't have gone back but I did. The time I spent fighting with Jenny could have been used to get out of Kabul. It was my mistake."

"What happened to the intelligence that you and Ivankov collected?" Gibbs inquired.

"I made three copies on a flash drive. Sergei encrypted and scrabbled all three drives. I never saw what was on them or the code he used to scramble them. I sent one drive to Tim. I don't know if he ever got that and passed it on."

"The second copy?"

"I mailed it to my brother."

"And he has it now?"

"He turned to over to Jenny Shepard per my instructions."

"The third copy?"

"I put it in Sergei's back pack for safe keeping."

"Heritage captured you after that? Where did he take you?"

"An abandoned building of some kind and I have no idea where it was before you ask. He starved me for a week Gibbs. He knew that we were collecting information on him and he wanted to know what we had collected. Because Sergei encrypted all three flash drives and I didn't look over the information, I went in blind Gibbs. I purposefully made it so I didn't know anything."

"And he tortured you for information that you knew nothing about."

"Yes," Poppy said giving a humorless laugh, "He ripped my finger nails out, starved me, left me in the dark, beat me, raped me, burned my skin, gave me drugs…all kinds of torture. All for information I didn't have and didn't know about. He must have figured out that after two months I didn't know anything about Kabul because he stopped questioning me about and started asking about what I knew from the time we had spent together in Washington. I told him what had found in his apartment after one night where he'd burnt the skin off the bottom of my feet and had used a power drill on them. I was screaming out the answers to what he wanted and I only remember it because he made tapes of every torture session and he left me that evening with that tape playing over and over again. All night long I listed to my own screams as I hung from the ceiling. It was the day before the Navy Seals came for me."

"How'd you get shot five times?"

"The Navy must spooked him or something. He was…jumpy that day. I think he was afraid I would tell every minor detail that I could remember. I was loose end. He shot me five times then left. I don't know what happened after that. All I remember is seeing faces and the sound of a helicopter. I woke up in the hospital in Germany with Shepard demanding answers."

"What'd you tell her?"

"I told her she could go fuck herself," Poppy said with a small smile.

Gibbs chuckled, "I'm sure you did. When did Ivankov contact you again?"

"He was in the hospital the second time I woke up after Shepard left. He'd been looking for me and had tipped the Navy off to where I was. I also learned that Heritage had gone into hiding and Jericho went off the grid."

"Tell me about the photos McGee has. How did he get those?" Gibbs asked knowing full well that Jenny had sent them.

Poppy looked at him as tears rolled down her cheeks, "I don't know. I don't know how I managed to not notice or make this the colossal cluster fuck it's become. Jenny ordered that this whole operation be under the table. No one could know about it and I agreed. It wasn't until a few weeks before I went to Afghanistan that the emails and pictures started showing up. I intercepted the first envelope that contained them. I hacked Tim's email hoping that nothing would show up but it did and he had gotten the email at work. He was angry when he came home and we fought. He left and Jenny called saying that I would be on plane in a few weeks to follow Heritage for his meet with Jericho about the seventeenth girl supposedly."

"Did McGee receive any more pictures?"

"I'd been working on building this case for nearly a year. There hundreds of pictures and within those few weeks Timothy got all of them. Whoever sent them sent the more graphic ones the closer it got time for me to leave. I never had sex with Heritage but it doesn't mean I didn't…I didn't do thing with him to gain his trust. Kissed him, snuggled…spent time with him…I'm not proud of it Gibbs. Refusing to have sex with Heritage was one of the few direct orders I disobey from Jenny. She wanted me to…sleep with Heritage. Build an intimate side to this case and…I couldn't do that. I had hurt Tim enough. I was a horrible wife but I couldn't do what she wanted. Kissing Heritage was enough to make me want to bleach my mouth"

"Tell me more about those weeks leading up to Afghanistan with McGee."

"Everything had been normal. Tim and I had been busy with work and everything but there wasn't anything unusual. He was getting used to working for you and I was busy with Heritage. I thought everything was fine until those pictures start showing up and the taunting emails. Whoever sent those emails targeted Tim. They knew just what say, when to say it and how to say it. They tore down any confidence he had in himself, in us...in his trust in me. Whoever did it knew what they were doing. They knew how to push his button and the combination to make him blow up. They knew that if they sent a photo of Heritage taking my clothes off…it was the nail in my coffin Gibbs. That picture…Timothy was supposed to see that picture," Poppy said as her voice cracked, "If it had been a video Tim would have known I was only changing but the person who was sending all those messages manipulated him. Taunting, tearing him down…they knew that it was all Tim needed to see before he broke. They tortured him."

"Yes, they did know what they were doing it sounds like," Gibbs told her quietly.

* * *

McGee started at the ultrasound that was on his desktop screen.

Crystal had left his apartment in tears when he'd told her that he wasn't sure if he wanted to marry her when she'd asked him to leave Poppy. He cared about Poppy and after everything that had happened between them, he wanted to help her. He loved her and learning that she'd been tortured made his stomach knot painfully. She needed him now more than ever but so did another person.

He wanted to give his future child a stable home with Crystal. A home where their baby would know he or she was loved no matter what. A home where his child would know that he or she was safe and cared for. A home where that child didn't have to worry about a thing. He'd been the child of divorced parents and he knew that it was hard. He didn't want that for his unborn child.

"McGee!"

McGee jumped and quickly closed his screens down but it was too late.

"What the hell was that?" Ziva asked, "Was that what I think it was?

* * *

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	7. Chapter Six: The Last Time

**All errors are my own:( Sorry!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Last Time**

"..._You find yourself at my door,  
Just like all those times before,  
You wear your best apology,  
But I was there to watch you leave,_

_And just like all the times I let you in,_  
_Just for you to go again,_  
_Disappear when you come back,_  
_Everything is better._

_And right before your eyes,_  
_I'm breaking and fast,_  
_Nowhere to hide,_  
_Just you and me._

_This is the last time,_  
_I'm asking you this,_  
_Put my name at the top,_  
_Of your list._

_This is the last time,_  
_I'm asking you why,_  
_You break my heart in the,_  
_Blink of an eye, eye, eye…"_

**_~ "The Last Time"- Taylor Swift feat. Gary Lightbody_**

**TWO WEEKS LATER…**

McGee hadn't said anything about the baby since he'd found out. Ziva was the only one who knew about the baby and she'd been urging him to tell Poppy. Her reasoning was that the sooner Poppy knew the easier his decision would be about what he wanted to do.

"You look tired," Poppy said as she passed his desk carrying her backpack.

McGee snapped out of the trance he'd been in and stared at her, "How was your appointment? It's been two weeks. How are you feeling?"

"According to my psychiatrist I am reckless, dangerous and I have mild depression and anxiety. I'm also prone to aggressive behavior and have trust issues with my superior and other women. Not to mention he thinks that I am too independent as a result of my mother's dead when I was a child," Poppy replied while turning on her computer, "I think he's full of bullshit. Once you've have your feet drill through, the world is never the same."

"Did he give you a prescription for the depression and anxiety?" he asked hoping that the doctor had given her something to help."

Poppy didn't look up but held the up the small prescription page, "You want it? I think Xanax is worth quite a bit on the street if you can swing it."

"Don't even think about selling it Noor," Gibbs said as he walked into the bullpen, "We have a dead seaman. Get your things team. Noor, report to Abby."

Poppy grinned at McGee, "I feel like I'm probie all over again."

"You have to tell her," Ziva pressed, "She deserves to know."

"Is this why you wanted to ride together?"

"She's going to know you're hiding something. She's a good agent and she will know sooner or later. The question is do you want her finding out from hacking your computer or Crystal herself?"

McGee was silent because he knew Ziva was right.

"I just want to cushion the blow. Crystal decided she was going to keep the baby and…"

"You're going to divorce Poppy," Ziva finished with a bitter smile, "That's what you're afraid of. Poppy not taking the news of your separation well when you tell her."

McGee squeezed the steering wheel tightly and shook his head, "She's been through a lot Ziva and I…I don't want to hurt her even though she cheated on me."

"Allegedly cheated on you," she corrected.

McGee parked the car on the curb outside the dead Navy officer's house and looked at Ziva.

"She...whether or not she cheated at this point doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm going to be a father here in seven months and…I don't want this baby to have parents who are separated."

"If you're making decisions like this now McGee you will end up being miserable," Ziva replied, "My father stayed with my mother out of obligation and they were miserable. You will be too."

They both got out of the car and walked to where Tony was waiting for them.

"What's up with the long face McGeek?"

"McGee got Crystal pregnant and doesn't know what how to tell his wife," Ziva blurted out and DiNozzo's eyes went wide.

"Seriously?"

"Yep, she's due in seven months."

McGee glared at Ziva, "You had to tell him?"

"Someone is going to have to your baseline support McDaddy."

"I think he should just tell her," Ziva continued on ignoring Tony, "the long he waits the more pissed she'll be."

"Yeah but Noor is in a delicate state right now," Tony said.

"She's want the truth."

"Since when have you two been buddy-buddy?" McGee asked.

Ziva gave him a look and rolled her eyes, "We're women. I know that she'll agree with me when I say that she'd want to know."

"What are you three waiting for? An invitation to come inside?" Gibbs yelled from the front door, "Get in here! This isn't social hour!"

* * *

McGee looked across the bullpen at Poppy nervously. He decided that taking her out to dinner would be the best. He'd tell her over dinner that Crystal was pregnant and keeping the baby which was his. He'd also tell her that he wanted to be with Crystal to raise the baby as a family and that in order to do that he wanted and needed a divorce. An amicable divorce, in which they filed together, split everything fifty-fifty and didn't go to trial.

McGee also hoped that because they were in public, Poppy wouldn't act out in anyway or do anything that would cause her to be arrested. He knew that the one thing she hated was making a scene and drawing attention to herself in public. Crystal had wanted to come as moral support for him but McGee knew that if Crystal was there Poppy would probably kill her in cold blood with a steak knife or something. He could just see his soon-to-be ex-wife lunging across the table and killing Crystal. Gathering all courage he could, McGee walked over to her desk.

"What's up?" she asked him with a smile as he stood behind her and rested one his hands on her desk. The other was on the back of her chair.

"Did DiNozzo fill you in about what's going on with Henry's girlfriend Liv?"

"Yep. We went to lunch and he filled me in," she replied as she wrote out paper work, "Did you need something else?"

"I did actually."

Poppy kept writing for a few minutes before she turned and looked at him with a small smile, "You're hovering. What's up?"

"S-s-s-sorry I-I-I w-w-w-was j-j-j-just...uh," McGee stuttered looking for the right words.

"You were what?"

McGee was silent again and she raised her eyebrow, "You've proposed to me. It can't be harder than that Timothy."

"Did you want to go out to dinner tomorrow night?" he blurted out and surprised them both by being so forward.

Poppy's eyebrows nearly disappeared in her hairline, "D-d-d-dinner?"

"Yeah, you know me and you… alone…with food. There's this restaurant in Georgetown that Ducky talked about a few weeks ago and I thought you know…you and I could go…together."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times in shock before she spoke, "Sure."

"McGee, get back to work," Gibbs said walking into the bullpen with a Starbucks coffee, "DiNozzo, Noor go pick up the girlfriend Liv."

Poppy looked at Gibbs excitedly and grabbed her gun out of the top drawer. She quickly followed DiNozzo out of the bullpen as she waved goodbye to McGee with a large smile.

"McGee," Gibbs said before the younger man could sit down across from him, "Good news travels fast. Congratulations."

"Thanks Boss," McGee replied wondering how the hell Gibbs knew. The thought struck him that Poppy might already know too. She had the seemingly same ability that Gibbs had to know things about other people before others knew.

"Don't break her anymore McGee. We barely have her back together and the glue is starting to stick. Don't melt it tomorrow night or your ass will be served to Leon Vance on a platter."

Gibbs left and McGee stood in the middle of bullpen confused as to why Vance would have his ass.

* * *

DiNozzo felt guilty as they drove out of DC to pick up their victim's girlfriend for questioning. Over the past weeks, he'd become friends with Noor. She was interesting and he could see why McGee had fallen for her. She was beautiful and knew exactly which buttons to push to make a man go crazy. But she also had darkness around her. Like Ziva, she'd killed people and had done things for intelligence that could protect her country. Sometimes when she didn't think he was watching a look of sadness would cross her face followed by a look of anger. She'd clench her fist and he could tell she was holding something back. He just didn't know what.

Her teamwork skills needed improving and she made him feel like he knew her very well when he knew very little about her in reality. It wasn't hard to see why Ziva had admitted privately to him that she liked Noor. They were practically made from the same cloth. Both of them were Intelligence officers with parents who had started training them as children and they both could kick serious ass. After Noor had kicked Kerns' ass, Tony had put her in his phone as 'Tomb Raider'. Her French braid and dark hair reminded him a little of Angelina Jolie but her eyes were icy blue and something about her reminded him of Grace Kelly too. Maybe it was the way her jaw was shaped and her defined yet soft cheek bones. Maybe it was her eyebrows had a similar arch that most women tried hard to achieve but failed to get. He wasn't sure what it was but something about Noor was mysterious and her classical beauty only added to the mystery of who she was.

When Gibbs had mentioned she was the daughter of a Senator, Tony had Googled her parents. She bore a striking similarity to her mother that surprised him. It wasn't hard to see why the Senator had fallen for his wife or why McGee had fallen with his daughter. If Noor was anything like her mother, Parvin Noor must have been one hell of a spy and a woman before her suicide.

"So you and McGee," DiNozzo said started to come up with a way to tip Noor off about McGee's impending fatherhood.

"What about us?" Poppy asked looking over at him in silver aviator sunglasses that were probably worth more than his entire weekly paycheck. She enjoyed the perks of being the daughter of a wealthy, dead Senator who left the majority of his estate to his youngest child.

"He's taking you to dinner tomorrow?" Tony asked casually knowing full well what McGee was planning.

"Yes."

"What do you think is gonna happen?"

Poppy looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "What do you know?"

"Nothing," DiNozzo said too fast. He knew she'd caught him when she arched an eyebrow at him over the rim of her sunglasses.

"I'm just curious to know what you think is the reason he wants to go out!" He defended.

"I'm not going to jinx it by speculating," Poppy said firmly looking away from him and back out the window.

"What if it's bad news?"

"Tony," she warned.

"It could be! I mean think about it. He could be asking for-"

"Shut up," Poppy snapped at him as he parked the car on the curb and shut off the car.

"What will you do if something bad does come out of this dinner?" he asked.

"What do you know?" she asked again taking off her sunglasses.

Tony was quiet for a moment before opened his door and he sighed, "Never mind."

Poppy followed him with a curious look as they walked up the drive to the house, "You're a shitty friend."

"I just don't want you flipping out on me," DiNozzo said over his shoulder.

"I knew it! You do know something!"

He looked up at the sky as he stopped. She was a spy like Ziva. She knew just how to manipulate him into getting the answers to what she wanted. He turned back to look at her with a grim look, "Fine yes. But you're gonna want to hear it from McGee."

He turned around and kept walking on but stopped when Noor called his name. She hadn't moved and a blank expression was on her face.

"Is he going to ask what I think he's going to ask?"

"I don't know," Tony told her honestly, "But if you need a friend to commiserate about failed relationship and a drinking buddy, you're more than welcome to show up on my doorstep. I've got a few six packs in my 'fridge."

Poppy snorted and walked towards him with her hands stuffed in her trench coat pockets, "For God's sake ask Ziva out already. Honestly, grow a pair. I've met cats who are more outgoing than you are. Sure sleep with college girls left and right while some other guy comes in a sweeps her off her feet. That's a great plan of action."

"Hey! I do have a pair!" DiNozzo defended as he followed her to the front door.

"Then give them some use!" she told him over her shoulder before knocking.

* * *

Poppy put her wine glass down on the table as waited for McGee on the deserted patio of the same place in Georgetown that she and Ducky went to often. There table was the only one in use and she knew something was well before she felt the barrel of a gun touch her neck. Heritage pulled out a chair and sat down across from her with a grin.

"You always look stunning in black," he said commenting on the capped sleeve bandage dress she wore.

"You must crazy to show here. You're on the FBI, CIA, NCIS, Justice Department and the DOD's wanted list," Poppy replied as someone pushed the barrel of the gun harder into her neck, "Tell your man that he doesn't have to apply that much pressure."

"So you can turn around take the gun and shoot me? I think not. Besides you wouldn't get very far. There's a sniper on the roof."

"The fact that you were ever a marine scares me. How the hell did you even get in?" Poppy asked ignoring his bait.

The smile was removed from Heritage's face and he scowled, "You're a bitch."

"You've been telling me that for years," Poppy smiled, "It won't change me. I love being a bitch."

"But this will change you," he grinned again, "Tonight everything will change. Get up."

The gun was pressed against her neck and Poppy stood up with her heart pounding. The thought briefly floated through her mind wondering if Jenny had given Gibbs the letter she'd written for Timothy before she'd gone to Afghanistan. The letter was to be given to him in the event of her death. Heritage grabbed her arm and twisted it so that she was forced to follow him. The metal railing that enclosed the patio hit her lower back.

Poppy smiled at him, "Are you going kill me? Shoot me in the head and drown me in the River?"

"You're too beautiful to be lost to the river," Heritage whispered in her ear, "You always have a way of being a stunning woman and your commitment to your country puts many soldiers to shame. It's an admirable trait. Too bad you could never transfer that to your marriage. I'm sure Timothy could have benefited from some of that loyalty and honor."

"Why are you in states? You're a wanted man. Surely you wouldn't have made it this easy for me to arrest you on terror charges?" Poppy asked as she turned to look at him and leaned on the back of the railing trying to stop him from twisting a knife through her heart.

"You won't arrest me."

"How do you know?"

"Your husband impregnated his girlfriend. That's why he's taking you out to a fancy dinner. He's trying to soften the blow. You won't arrest me because of that tip off."

"What?" Poppy said shocked. Her confusion was clear on her face as Heritage took a small listening device out of his pocket and pressed play. Poppy could hear Crystal and McGee talking about whether the baby was a boy or a girl and different names. Shocked, she didn't even register that Heritage had a knife until he pressed it against her back until she felt the bite of the blade.

"Kiss me," he demanded pressing his body against her body.

"I'd rather you stab me," she replied trying not to let him see how effects she was by the news of baby McGee.

"I always knew you were a masochist," Heritage smiled cruelly as he applied press to the blade.

"You must be a sadist because you seem to enjoy my pain," Poppy told him as a tear rolled down her cheek, "Stop."

"You're going to kiss me or I will have my men shoot Timothy. He's walking up the steps now with flowers. He's buttering you up to break your heart. Either way you're not going to be walking out with him."

Poppy looked up at the roof of the restaurant to see a sniper ready to take the shot and more tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Why do you keep using the same play? Why don't you want me and him together?" Poppy asked trying to buy time in the hope that Tim would be smart and look up when he went up the stairs, "Why are you doing this?"

"Five," Heritage said with a sick smile.

"Does it have something to do with Ali Jericho?"

"Four."

"He's paying you to supply jihadists with secrets, isn't he?" Poppy said as she silently begging Tim to look around him and spot the sniper. Tears continued to fall as she realized she'd either sign Timothy's death warrant or the death of any reconciliation of their life together. Either Tim would be dead or he would hate her for this one kiss that would cement his beliefs that she cheated on him. She wasn't sure which one was more painful.

"Three."

"Please," Poppy begged as tears came down her cheeks, "Don't hurt him."

"Two."

Poppy looked over to see the top of Tim's head as he came up the steps to the patio. He wasn't looking up but watching his feet.

"One," Heritage whispered.

Poppy turned her head slammed her lips into Heritage's with as much passion as she could muster to make it look like she was enjoying the kiss for the show Heritage wanted to give. He kept the knife against her body as cupped her neck and applied pressure so she couldn't move. He was in control as he moaned and forced his tongue into her mouth. Poppy resisted the urge to bite as she felt the knife bite into her skin and draw blood. She wasn't sure how long Heritage kissed her but he eventually broke away and turned to look at McGee who stood on the patio looking at them in shock, unable to move.

"She's all yours," Heritage smirk to McGee before he turned to look back at Poppy. His thumb brushed away a tear as he smiled at her, "Don't keep me waiting too long my darling."

He winked and stuffed his hands into his pocket concealing the blade that had her blood. He strolled into the restaurant and left Poppy standing in shock in the realization that the end of her marriage was going to happen and there was nothing she could do. She slowly turned her head to look at McGee who wore a look of disgust on his face as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Timothy," she started but he interrupted.

"He was the man from the pictures that you were sleeping with before you left," he said without emotion, "Are you sleeping your way through Washington now like your mother slept her way through politicians after she married your father? I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Poppy winced as she felt more tears fall, "Please-"

"When it comes to you I don't even know what the truth is and what a lie is at the end of the day. Do you even know what the truth is anymore or how to tell it?" McGee interrupted again.

Poppy was silent as McGee waited expectantly for her to defend herself.

She wanted to tell him that she'd just saved his life. That because of her he'd be able to meet his unborn child but the words died in her throat. He wouldn't believe her and trying to tell him anything would be a waste of breath. She'd made her choice. She'd chosen to live with a broken heart and nothing was going to fix what had happened.

"I'll have my lawyer send the divorce papers over," McGee continued when she didn't reply, "Just sign them because I'm done you. I'm done with you Poppy. I was wrong to think we could ever fix this. The most disgusting part is that you let me hope we could. You let me hope that some part of you truly wanted to fix this when the whole time you didn't care. You don't care about anyone but yourself and that I believed you ever carried about me is the biggest tragedy of this all."

He tossed the flowers down at her feet and turned to leave but she found her voice just in time.

"Congratulations on the baby," she said bitterly, "I'm sure Crystal is thrilled beyond belief at the prospect of motherhood."

McGee looked shocked for a second that she knew before he turned away completely and left angrily.

"Have a great fucking life," Poppy said bringing her glass of wine to her red lips. She sat back down at the table and smiled bitterly as she imagined her mother sitting across from her sipping on her own glass of red wine getting ready to abuse her for even marrying McGee. Parvin was a stunningly cold woman and she smirked back at Poppy.

"You were right Mama. Spying is the most dangerous game there is. The stakes are high and the pay outs are big. But will I end up like you? Hanging from my bathroom doorway with rope around my neck? I'm sure my father was so happy the day he found his wife hanging. You saved him from a world of embarrassment and probable imprisonment and being branded the Senator who married a spy unknowingly. He didn't even know you were one until you killed yourself because Jordan told you that they no longer had need for you. At least the one thing you managed to do was keep your secrets silent. I guess I am just like you. The game of espionage is so addicting that it's consuming my life. I've ruined my marriage to keep playing this game and I will probably ruin every relationship I'm ever in for it. My biggest question though is will it also take my life like it took yours?" Poppy said raised the wine glass to her lips again and could hear her mother's voice in her head replying.

_"You're a spy first. Everything and everyone else is irrelevant. You're loyalty is to your country, not to any man, woman or child. No one else matters except doing your assignment. You've been training since you were a child. Don't forget what I've taught you."_

"I've certainly followed you advice, haven't I?" Poppy said bitterly as Parvin Noor smirked in pride at her.

* * *

"So this is where you hide away."

Gibbs looked up to see Noor descending the steps to his basement.

"I thought you had dinner," he said setting down his tools.

"My soon to be ex-husband is procreating with a cheerleader. It's been a depressing night. Not to mention Heritage showed up demanding I kiss him," Poppy stated as she walked across the cement floor. Her heels clicked against the floor as she smiled bitterly, "But hey, everything is okay. The sky hasn't fallen yet and my mother came back to haunt me from the grave."

"Are you drunk Noor?" Gibbs asked.

"I had a glass of wine before dinner. I'm pissed and depressed. Not drunk. There's a difference."

Gibbs looked up at the ceiling and heard more steps, "Did someone follow you?"

"No," Poppy said looking up instantly alert.

They both looked at the top of the steps to see Vance entered the basement, "You keep your front door unlocked Gibbs? After everything that has happened to you?"

"Noor here has been training since she was a child to be spy with the CIA and I have a gun. Between the two of us I think we would have managed to take out an intruder. What's up?" Gibbs asked leaning against his work bench as Poppy sat down on a stool near his boat.

"Heritage was just spotted leaving a-"

"Restaurant in Georgetown," Poppy finished for Vance, "He paid me a visit."

"What did he want?" Gibbs asked.

"A kiss…he wanted me to kiss him just as Tim got there. I don't know why."

"Is this man familiar to you?" Vance asked holding a picture up for Poppy to see.

She looked at the man and nodded, "Yuri Ezitka. He's a former Russian Intelligence officer that went rogue a few years ago. Sergei Ivankov identified him in Bagdad last month, a very dangerous man and also highly wanted in Western Europe. He's involved in the arms trade, human trafficking, selling of secrets, terrorism and drug wars. He has even assassinated a few minor world leaders too. It's rumored too that he might be involved in some kind of chemical weapons trade too with Iran, Syria and North Korea along with some African countries. His little black book is extensive from what I've heard from various contacts. Was he identified on a no fly list?"

"No he was seen boarding a private jet at the same time Heritage paid you a visit. We barely picked him up on our scopes. It was by pure chance one of our agents photographed him leaving under an assumed alias."

Poppy's face lit up, "A diversion. Every time Heritage contacts me he's getting someone in and out of the country undetected but why?"

"How many times has he contacted you?" Gibbs asked.

"Including this evening? Three. The first time I was at lunch with Ducky, the second time in Tim's apartment and this evening."

"So who was he smuggling in and out of the country those other two times?" Vance asked.

"It could be any number of his associates. The bigger question is what kind of business transaction was happening. Selling foreign and national secrets or human trafficking? Maybe Heritage is using Yuri to expand his organization too. Ezitka has very reliable sources and contacts from around the world. He's the go to man if you need something done quickly and quietly," Poppy offered, "I can contact Sergei and ask him if he knows anything about Ezitka's movement as of late."

"Do that," Vance said, "And contact others. Get the word out that we want information on Yuri Ezitka's movements."

"I'm going to need something to offer in return to some contacts. Off the top of my head I can think of one contact who won't give me anything without something in return. If he has any information, that is," she replied.

"What will he want?" Gibbs asked.

"Sometimes it's money, sometimes it is information. His wife was murdered last year by jihadists out of Western Europe. He'll probably want some kind of information pertaining to them or information about the Taliban who they are closely associated with. Whatever we have, he'll want."

"Give him whatever he wants if you think the information is worth it," Vance said, "We have another problem that we need to discuss while we're here. I think we may have a mole somewhere in the NCIS, CIA or Homeland. Information is being screwed up and some recordings of airport security have been tampered with."

"There might be someone in the Pentagon too," Poppy offered, "I couldn't figure out how Heritage is getting in and out of the country without detection. A mole is the best answer we have right now."

"Someone is helping him and I want to find out who it is. Until then nothing about this case is discussed outside of this basement. Is that clear to both of you?"

Gibbs and Poppy nodded in agreement.

"Good. Poppy, I have a backpack upstairs for you with a laptop and whatever else you may need. Our next goal is to figure out who Heritage is meeting with and helping leave this country. Contact your network and see if anything turns up that might be useful to us. Be discrete about it too. I don't want to be raising red flags over at the Pentagon, CIA, and Homeland, FBI or any other intelligence agency. We don't know who the hell the mole is or where they're from. This case it top priority now too. You work on this before you work on any of Gibbs' cases. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir. I will go home and get right on it," Poppy replied, "I'm expecting another book from Sergei any day since I replied to the information he gave us about Jericho a few weeks ago. He might know more about this than we do."

Vance nodded, "Good."

"Poppy will be staying here tonight," Gibbs spoke up, "I don't think sending her home is a good idea."

"Why?" Poppy asked stubbornly.

"Because Heritage has contacted you three times and I don't think it's safe for you to go home. Someone is feeding him information and we want to keep the information he has about you to a minimum. He's gotten your cell phone twice and found you in person. Next time he comes he may very well kill you."

"I agree. We'll start shuffling you around for the next few days to throw him and this mole off the trail. We'll get you a burn phone and an untraceable car until it is deemed safe for you," Vance said, "You understand your orders Noor?"

"Yes sir," Poppy said dryly, "At least put me in a good hotel while we're at it. Four or five stars is preferable. Security is usually tight and I'll be in the open. Heritage wouldn't do something stupid that would make him turn up in database anywhere."

Vance smiled, "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

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	8. Chapter Seven: Starts With Goodbye

**All Errors Are My Own:( Sorry!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Starts with Goodbye**

_"…So hard to see myself without him  
I felt a piece of my heart break  
But when you're standing at a crossroad  
There's a choice you gotta make_

_I guess it's gonna have to hurt_  
_I guess I'm gonna have to cry_  
_And let go of some things I've loved_  
_To get to the other side_

_I guess it's gonna break me down_  
_Like fallin' when you try to fly_  
_Sad but sometimes_  
_Moving on with the rest of your life_  
_Starts with goodbye_

_I know there's a blue horizon_  
_Somewhere up ahead, just waiting for me_  
_Getting there means leaving things behind_  
_Sometimes life's so bitter sweet…"_

**_~ "Starts with Goodbye" – Carrie Underwood_**

Poppy turned on Gibbs' shower and sink and sat down on the closed toilet seat. She covered her face with the pillow she'd taken from the guest bedroom and screamed into it. She knew that Vance wanted her finding out who had been leaving the states each time Heritage called her but her own personal crisis needed to be dealt with first.

McGee wanted a divorce and Crystal was pregnant with his baby.

Her life in the span of a year had completely collapsed. Her father was dead, she and her brother barely spoke, her co-workers hated her and McGee was leaving her for a cheerleader. Not to mention Heritage was still on the loose and causing problems for her mentally, physically, personally and professionally.

"Noor!"

She looked at the door as she hugged the pillow to her body, "What?"

She prayed her voice hadn't sounded broken or that she sounded like she was crying.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked.

She couldn't help it. Poppy burst out laughing in that moment everything seemed comical, from McGee leaving her to his mistress getting pregnant to Heritage making her miserable to her father's death along with her brother's silence as he licked his own wounds from a failed romance. Sergei would have said her life was turning into a Shakespearian comical tragedy at that moment.

The door opened and Gibbs held up a key, "What's going on?"

"My husband is leaving me for a cheerleader who is pregnant, my job is threatening my personal relationships and my life is falling apart piece by piece. And you wanna ask what my problem is? No offense Gibbs but that is a stupid ass question," she snapped wiping away tears.

Gibbs turned the shower off and sat down on the edge of the tub, "McGee just told you he wants a divorce. Now the way I look at it, you have two options. One option is that you can wallow in your grief and self-pity and become a form of your mother or you take the second option."

"What's the second option?" Poppy asked staring at the wall blankly.

"Show McGee that you don't him to be the best agent you can be. Catch Heritage and McGee will know that at the end of the day you told him the truth time and time again when Heritage and his activities no longer because above top secret. The best revenge and the best way to get over any relationship Noor is to live your life to the fullest you can without that person. Show McGee who you really are because the Noor I know will rally and will continue catching bad guys and being one of this country's top field agents with or without McGee. That's the second option. You pick what you want to do with your life. "

Poppy stared at the wall, "I love him Gibbs and I don't how to...to let him go. I've loved since I was sixteen."

"You'll move on Noor. Maybe not today or tomorrow but there will be other people you love. McGee is not end of anything. McGee divorcing you is the start of a new chapter in your life and maybe you find out that in the long run you are a much happier person without him. He doesn't define who you are or your happiness."

"There's a third option. I pine over him for years while trying to replace him with young men from every city in the world," she said sadly.

Gibbs chuckled and Poppy broke out into a smile.

"That's just like the first option. You're gonna be fine kid. It's not your loss but his. He's losing one of the brightest women I know. Years from now when he looks back he'll realize that you were the one that got away," Gibbs said confidently.

"Do honestly think so?" Poppy asked feeling unsure of her-self.

"He will Poppy, I know he will."

Gibbs got up and left her sitting alone.

Poppy stared at the wall. A part of her wanted to go running to Tim and beg him to believe that what happened on the patio had been planned and was completely faked but another part of her told her that it was irrational to hope that he would listen. His words were cruel and nothing she said or did would change his mind. He had come to his own conclusions and when he wanted, he could be as stubborn as she could be.

If he loved her, he'd trust her like she begged him to months ago. He'd trust her and trust in that love she had for him. A love that she used to keep her strong through everything that had happened in Afghanistan. She had believed naively that he would have been in Germany when she woke up. When he wasn't there she'd lied to herself, saying that he was running late. She'd called him and he'd ignored her in his own anger. She begged him and cried more tears than any woman should over a man. She'd pleaded with him and had done everything she could to show him that she loved him even if he didn't know that she was behind the action.

But there was only so much that she could do. There came a point where she had to step back and know that she'd done everything to save her life with him. She was at that point she realized. The point where love became obsession and her life depended entirely on his acceptance of her. Gibbs was right. She had two choices.

The first was she could beg and plead with Timothy to believe her. She could obsess about him and become her mother who measured her entire self-worth based on one thing. For her mother it was measured in being an agent. To her that measure would be how much Tim loved her. She could base her entire world around that and try to win back someone who clearly didn't want to be with her and who believed the worst things about her.

The second option would hurt but only for a few moments compared to the lifetime of pain the first option offered. She could chose to let Tim go like he wanted and move on. She could show him that she was her own person. She could catch Heritage and clear her name but she would do it for her own personal gratification. She didn't have to prove anything to him except that she was a damn good agent. She could close this chapter of her life and open another door to the great unknown. A part of her was curious as to what life had in store behind that door and a different part of her was petrified of it.

One option could lead to years of darkness and heartbreak. The second option was temporary pain and the possibly of blinding lights so bright that they hid the future when she opened the door. In that moment Poppy knew that she didn't want to end up like her mother. She didn't want her self-worth measured by one thing. She wanted that bright light and the unknown possibilities it offered her. Pain was temporary and even though she had to let go of McGee, the future could be a better place. All she had to do was find the courage to take that leap of faith and open the door. The first step in doing that was letting go of Timothy McGee.

No matter how much it hurt she had to do it if she wanted to find the happiness she so desperately wanted. Happiness he couldn't give her. Holding on to him would only bring her pain and heartbreak and she deserved better. She deserved to be happy no matter what happened in life. Life had so much more to offer and to find that she had to give McGee the divorce he wanted. She had to say goodbye to him and walk away. She had to do it and if he never found the truth of what was happening around them, then so be it.

"I pick the second option," Poppy said quietly, "I can let go of him. Maybe not right away but I can let go of him."

* * *

Crystal was proudly showing off her ultrasound to McGee's co-workers at their Fourth of July party on a Friday a month later. Poppy stood next to Ducky by the elevators watching the scene unfold with mild discomfort. She had been waiting to be served divorce papers and yet nothing had happened.

Bringing her ear to her shoulder, Poppy looked at Crystal's waist and wondered how far along she was.

"How pregnant do you have to be to have an ultrasound?" she asked Ducky.

"I'd supposed at least ten weeks. Why do you ask my dear?" he replied looking over at Crystal who stood happily with McGee as they chatted with co-workers.

"Would she be showing at ten weeks?"

Her stomach churned seeing McGee's arm go around Crystal. Her grip on the plastic cup she held was strong she thought she might break it.

"Some women do and others don't. Since this is her first child I doubt she'd be showing yet," Ducky told her and Poppy nodded as Ziva walked over looking annoyed.

"Is she too happy?" Poppy asked sarcastically with a smirk.

"If I hear one more thing about the 'peanut' I will shoot her for you," Ziva replied standing next to them with her own plastic cup as she looked around.

"Don't rob me of that pleasure Ziva."

"Is it true that McGee asked for a divorce after he caught you kissing another man?" Ziva asked them, "Everyone is saying things and I just want to know if it's true."

Ducky looked at Ziva with a stern expression on his face, "That's hardly any of your business."

"Gossip travels fast Ducky," Poppy said with a sarcastic smile as she turned to look at him, "The entire office probably knows that McGee is leaving me for his younger, cheerleader girlfriend who is pregnant. If they don't know already, they'll know after today. Crystal keeps talking about the baby and most of the people here aren't idiots. Besides everyone is so damn engrossed in that ultrasound it's nauseating."

"I feel like I've seen that ultrasound before though for some reason," Ziva said, "I don't know why."

"All babies practically look the same at that point," Ducky volunteered, "If you had a pregnant friend or family member you may have seen theirs. It might be triggering that memory."

Ziva nodded with a smile, "Well I've got to find Tony. I'll see you later."

She left them standing there as the elevator doors opened and a man in a suit stepped out.

"I'm looking for Poppy Qamra Noor," he said loudly and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

"I'm Agent Noor," Poppy drawled already annoyed with the young man, "Can I help you?"

The young man took out a manila envelope and handed it over to her, "You've been served divorced papers on behalf of the District of Columbia and Mr. Timothy McGee."

The entire floor was dead silent that Poppy was sure a pin could be heard if it was dropped. She yanked the envelope out of his hands and scowled.

"In the future you simply tell people that they're being served. Now get the hell out of here and wipe that goddamn smirk off your face before I shoot you!" she snapped.

The young man quickly got back on the elevator and left. Poppy looked at everyone on the floor who was staring at her.

"Does anyone else wanna say something?" she asked, "You're more than welcome to say something. In fact, I dare you to."

There was no response and Poppy quickly hit the button for the elevator. The entire room was silent during the four agonizing minutes that it took for the elevator to come. When the doors dinged open, Poppy quickly went inside and pressed the button for the basement so hard she thought that the button would break. The doors closed and Poppy collapsed against the wall fighting tears. Humiliation burned her cheeks. If McGee wanted to cause her pain he could try but she wouldn't let anyone see her hurt. She wouldn't give anyone that satisfaction.

* * *

"Qamra?" Tony asked as he found her sitting at Ducky's desk in autopsy.

"My parents had a sense of humor apparently," she said with a small smile as she looked up at him, "Qamra is Arabic for moon and Noor is Arabic for light. My name is literally Poppy Moon Light."

"That's rough."

"Most people don't know what the translation is here. I never got bullied if that's what you're referring to."

Tony nodded as he watched her look over the documents that had been in the envelope.

"Fifty-fifty is a joke," Poppy laughed humorlessly, "This isn't like cutting a paper in half. This tearing a paper and there is jagged edges that hurt when you run your finger over them. It's almost laughable that Timothy is…"

"Making this out to be a no big deal," Tony finished, "He's moving on while your world is falling apart."

He knew that feeling. He knew how she felt because he'd felt the same way after his separation from Wendy.

"Did you ever ask Ziva out?" Poppy asked picking up a pen of Ducky's, "She was looking for you."

"Did you sign those papers?" Tony retorted trying to change the subject.

Noor gave him a smile that made him feel like a little boy who had gotten caught in the cookie jar. She looked back at the papers and quickly scribbled her name on the appropriate lines.

"Did you ever ask Ziva out?" she repeated as she put the paper back in the envelope.

When he didn't answer, Noor walked past him with a chuckle, "Good luck Tony. I'm going home. I've got work to do."

* * *

Poppy pounded on Gibbs' front door as hard as she could. After the party she'd gone home and worked on identifying the two people that Vance had asked her to when she'd found a picture that made her skin crawl. Ten minutes after that she'd gotten a call from Quint Keptner from London with information that had forced her to sit down. Pounding on the door again, Poppy didn't bother to say hello to Gibbs when he opened the door.

"We have a big problem," she announced walking in.

"Nice to see you too Noor," Gibbs replied closing the door behind her, "What's wrong?"

Poppy gave him the picture that she'd picked up from Interpol.

"That's Heritage leaving a Swiss bank nine hours ago," she said quickly.

"Who's the man with him?" Gibbs asked flipping on his living room lights to look at the picture.

"Ali Jericho. That's not the scary part or the problem we have," Poppy replied, "A contact of mind over at MI6 gave me information. Yesterday French intelligence lost a list they call The Principle."

"What kind of list is it?"

"It's a list of every French agent undercover from the Mob to the Middle East to Terrorist cells. What's more MI6 had security breach ten hours ago. Another list called The Horizon was stolen through a hacked server. My contact didn't say what they were but I think it had the same kind of information as The Principle. He told me that he thinks that the US and Russian intelligence will be next."

"What does this picture have to do with this?" Gibbs asked tossing it down on his coffee table.

"According to my contact with Interpol that picture was flagged one hour after what happened in London. Heritage put something in a safety deposit box around that time. Both my Interpol contact and MI6 contact think that Heritage put what was stolen in that bank vault. That Swiss bank is the most secure bank in the world. That's the place to make illegal activities look legal. That's what Heritage was trying to do. We wouldn't have even known about this if he didn't have Ali Jericho with him. They slipped up. Jericho has a face that is being flagged all over the world since last year. It's easier now to track Heritage if he is with Jericho."

"So our supposed mole might reveal him-self soon to get whatever they want," Gibbs concluded as his cell phone rang and he picked it up, "Gibbs."

Poppy watched as his eyes went wide, "We're talking about that right now Leon...See you soon."

"What'd they steal?" Poppy asked already knowing they'd been hit by Heritage.

"Halo," Gibbs said quietly.

"How?" Poppy asked shocked that Heritage had gotten to Halo.

"Halo was being transferred from the Pentagon to the CIA when the envoy was hit. Everyone is dead but the women. He kidnapped them."

Poppy bit her knuckles, "Which means Heritage will have everything soon. He will have French, British, American and Russian information together to sell to different buyers or one in particular. He and Jericho may just be arrogant enough to put those things in one bank safe box. "

"We need the contents of that box after they make a second deposit with Halo and the Russian intelligence," Gibbs said, "Replace everything with fakes. It will buy us time to evaluate our next moves and figure out who the buyers are. Do you know if Russian intelligence has been hit yet?"

"I don't know. Sergei hasn't said anything yet. I haven't received a book from him either. He may be collecting information now or undercover. He didn't say anything but one thing is for sure."

"What's that?"

"We will know when Russian Intelligence is hacked and something is stolen."

"Why do you think that?" Gibbs asked.

"Have you ever seen a pissed off Russian?" Poppy asked with a smile, "I've gotten punch in the face by one. It's not fun."

* * *

McGee was waiting for her near the elevator a few mornings later. She'd been in complete crisis mode since Halo had gone missing. Every favor had been called in to her contacts trying to find out the location of Heritage, Jericho or Halo and if Halo had been sold or released. So far nothing had happened. Heritage had gone to ground and Halo was off the grid. She had slept only a few hours and didn't want to go to work. Gibbs and his team had been working on some case but she hadn't noticed or cared. The only thing she'd noticed was that servers and computers were running slow and it meant one thing.

Someone was trying to hack into the NCIS network and they were after something.

"This is yours," she told McGee as they stood at the elevators waiting for it to open.

She passed him the envelope that she'd been holding since she walked in the front door. McGee took it and opened it with a critical eye.

"You signed it," he said as the doors opened.

"Does that surprise you?" Poppy replied realizing that this was the first time they'd talked to each other since the night Heritage had ruined everything, "Of course I signed it after that humiliating serve though. How much did you pay him to do that?"

"I didn't pay him or anything like that. I'm sorry that happened to you," McGee told her, "In truth, I expected you to contest the divorce."

"I have better things to do," she told him truthfully.

"Like kissing other men?" he said bitterly.

Poppy resisted the urge to knee him between the legs as she prayed the doors would open soon, "Funny. How's Crystal?"

"Good. Exhausted but excited. She gets to hear the baby's heartbeat today. I can't make it to the appointment but she promised to make a copy of it for me."

The happiness in his voice made Poppy squeeze her fist in anger. She was jealous that he got to be happy while she was dealing with a monumental crisis that could lead to the collapse of US Intelligence networks worldwide.

"How far along is she?" she bit out.

"Eleven weeks," McGee said proudly. Pleasure was evident in his voice and Poppy could feel her nails bite into palm.

"I'm sure she thrilled," she replied frostily.

"She'll start showing soon and we're both excited about that," he added and she knew he was rubbing salt in a wound. He knew that she'd wanted children someday and that he was enjoying her agony made her angry. The doors opened and Poppy stepped out of the elevator as quick as she could. She bypassed the bullpen and went directly to MTAC to report to Leon Vance about the Halo situation.

"What's with her?" Ziva asked coming to stand beside McGee with a puzzled look, "She's been very…secretive lately. Is she alright or does she need help."

"She's always been that way," McGee replied setting his backpack down on the floor next to his desk, "Her parents were secretive and she learned it from them. Her mother was involved in Jordanian Intelligence and her father was a Senator. Being a liar, cheat and secretive is in her blood."

Ziva shook her head at McGee sadly, "We do not pick our parents McGee. Trust me. Besides, Poppy is not those things. You're anger at the divorce is speaking not your heart."

"You asked me why she was being secretive. I told you why," he told her, "Sorry if you don't like the answer but it's the truth."

Ziva walked away with a head shake that left McGee annoyed.

"McGee, Ziva," Gibbs said entering bullpen, "Go pick up the victim's uncle. See if he knows anything about that bank account that Barns was hiding from his wife."

"On it boss," McGee said as he and Ziva grabbed their things.

* * *

Poppy stared at the tube of lipstick with a rueful smile. It was ingenious really. Beneath the actual lipstick was a wireless device that could pick up data from a nearby computer and transmit the data to another laptop. She'd gone to grab a pen from McGee's desk when she'd noticed it. It was sitting in the pen cup he had next to his hard drive. It was an easy slip that almost anyone could do. It would go unnoticed especially by a man who had a girlfriend who cared about her looks as much as Crystal did.

Standing in the cement hallway beneath NCIS, Poppy waited for Vance and Gibbs. A file was tucked under her arm from the FBI. A higher up agent had run a background check on Crystal the minute Poppy had mentioned to him that the blond cheerleader was suspected of aiding terror activities that related to the disappearance of Halo. What that background check revealed was a lot of debt that Crystal was probably hiding from McGee. It seemed that Crystal had a problem with her plastic and clothing stores that was addicting.

Poppy didn't believe for a minute that Crystal was smart enough to be a spy but she did believe that someone was blackmailing the cheerleader into spying on her own country. It was brilliant on Heritage's part. He got information on her from Crystal who either got it from directly observing her or indirectly from McGee. Crystal was his eyes and ears when Heritage couldn't see her on his own. She'd been the woman at the door the day Heritage had called her at McGee's apartment. Heritage hadn't contacted her until after Crystal had been in the office and met her for the first time and Crystal had been in the office the night Halo had been stolen. It was very possible that she was directly involved with that. Gibbs told her that he didn't believe in coincidences and this wasn't a set of coincidences. Crystal was aiding terrorist and even though she wasn't very good, she was still a spy for the enemy.

"What's up?" Vance said as he came down the steps to the cement hallway with Gibbs following him.

Poppy held up the tube of lipstick for both Vance and Gibbs to see.

"Lipstick, right?" she said before twisting the bottom off and flipping it to show Gibbs and Vance the device on the bottom, "Data collector on the bottom. Meet your mole. It was here in NCIS. Not in the Pentagon, CIA or FBI."

"Where the hell did you find this?" Vance asked taking it out of her hand and inspecting it.

"McGee's coffee cup," Poppy told him while she gave Gibbs the file she'd collected on Crystal, "I figured that the basement walls were thick enough to kill the signal and stop data collection of whatever is being collected."

"What's been collected Noor?" Vance asked.

"It's impossible to tell. The device makes copy of the data. It leaves the original so tracking what was copied is nearly impossible."

"You think McGee's girlfriend is the mole?" Gibbs asked looking over the file.

"She owes a lot of money and I can't think of anyone else who could put that in McGee's cup unnoticed. She was here before Heritage called me. She was at the door of McGee's apartment when Heritage called me again and she was here the night Halo went missing," she defended, "Not to mention one important fact that McGee is missing out on."

"What fact?" Vance asked.

"Crystal was in car accident as a teenager and went through the window. She had no seat belt on and had a hysterectomy as a result. The last time I checked you need a uterus to get pregnant."

"The pregnancy is a ploy to keep McGee with her," Gibbs concluded, "She's pretending to be how many weeks along?"

"Eleven weeks," Poppy replied, "Prime time for a miscarriage. I'm expecting that she'll say she had one and McGee will stay with her out of pity. It's the perfect ploy for getting a foot in the front door."

"I know most of the evidence here is circumstantial but do we tell McGee Leon?" Gibbs asked, "Do we bring him into this operation to spy on Crystal for us? It could give us an edge on Leon. Clearly Crystal isn't that good of a spy if Noor can get all that information out of a tube of lipstick."

Poppy shifted at the mention of bringing McGee in on the operation. She didn't want to work with him especially after he learned the truth about everything. She had seen a guilty McGee and she didn't want to deal with that.

"Bring your whole team in," Vance said after a few minutes of silence, "We'll need them. Noor, you've done an excellent job already but you can't take down a terror network single handedly."

Poppy nodded not knowing what to say.

"Keep working on the identities of the other two ghosts," Vance added quietly, "And keep contacting your contacts."

"Yes sir," Poppy said.

"Noor," Vance continued on, "Good job. You're a credit to your country today."

"Thank you sir," she replied quietly realizing that she didn't care that Timothy was about to join the operation. She just wanted the operation over with and she wanted to bring down Heritage once and for all.

* * *

Florence and the Machine's Cosmic Love played on repeat softly on the surround sound speakers as Poppy stood at the counter in the kitchen looking over information on Halo. She was still dressed in her tight black pencil dress from work with capped sleeves as she held a glass of red wine. Her hair was still up in a bun and she was barefoot on the cold wooden floor. The doorbell rang and grabbing her gun, Poppy walked across the apartment to the door.

"Package for Ms. Noor," a man called from the other side of the door.

Poppy opened the door with the gun behind her back to see the same delivery man who always delivered Sergei's packages.

"I'm Ms. Noor," Poppy said holding out her hand. The delivery guy gave her the package and she closed the door and locked it in his face as he tried to take a look at her body like he always did. Walking to the counter, Poppy opened the package and smiled seeing a second edition of her favorite book when she pushed the tissue paper back.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Opening the cover, she picked up the note that Sergei had left inside.

_Meet me at the Roosevelt Hotel at five on Friday evening. Go to the front desk and ask for the key to Mr. Anton's room. Further directions will be given then. _

_Sergei Ivankov _

Grinning, Poppy took the book out of the paper and the bottle of wine on the counter and headed to her bedroom to enjoy Sergei's gift before all hell broke loose.

* * *

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	9. Chapter Eight: Bad Things

**All Errors Are My Own:( Sorry! I know this chapter is shorter than usual and I'm sorry. This thing has been rewritten several times to Sunday but it still hasn't exactly come out how I want it to:(  
**

**P4TH**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Bad Things**

_"When you came in the air went out.  
And every shadow filled up with doubt.  
I don't know who you think you are,  
But before the night is through,  
I wanna do bad things with you._

_I'm the kind to sit up in his room._  
_Heart-sick and eyes filled up with blue._  
_I don't know what you've done to me,_  
_But I know this much is true:_  
_I wanna do bad things with you._  
_OK._

_When you came in the air went out._  
_And all those shadows there are filled up with doubt._  
_I don't know who you think you are,_  
_But before the night is through,_  
_I wanna do bad things with you._  
_I wanna do real bad things with you…"_

**_~ "Bad Things" – Jace Everett _**

Poppy walked into the Roosevelt Hotel at five o'clock on Friday and went to the front desk where she received a key to one of the fifty-two suites in the hotel from a lady with a pleasant smile. Stepping on the elevator, Poppy silenced her cell phone.

Vance and Gibbs had decided to read the team in while she was away. She was expecting a call from a McGee begging for forgiveness that she wouldn't give. She resolved that she'd move on from him. Gibbs had been right about moving on. The pain was lessening as time passed. Besides, if McGee only wanted her back because of the fact she hadn't cheated and Crystal wasn't pregnant, his reasons were wrong. Nothing would change the fact that his trust in her and their marriage was lacking. She may have been able to forgive the rest but his lack of trust would always been a problem. He didn't trust her like she'd trusted him and that caused bitterness and hurt.

The private elevator ride was quick and Poppy stepped off to a floor near the top of the building. Walking down the hall to the suite, Poppy put the key in the door and opened it. The suite was empty and it didn't surprise her. Sergei had a flare for the theatrics and it was made him such a good agent. He was creative and had the ability to get himself out of a jam no matter what the situation was.

The suite was in three rooms. A large sitting room that was richly furnished with windows gave a view. The bedroom was dominated by a single king size bed and off the bedroom was a modest bathroom. The long, thin rectangular table behind one of the couches that faced each other had a vase of at least two dozen roses and a card.

Picking up the card on opening it, Poppy smiled seeing Sergei's note.

_A dress for dinner is in the closet. We have to catch up moy malen'kiy shpion._

_Sergei _

"My little spy," she read out loud, "Sweet endearment Sergei."

Walking to the bedroom and opening the closet doors, Poppy smiled even more seeing the dress and everything that she needed to get dressed up for dinner.

"I knew that dress would be stunning on you."

Poppy looked in the mirror to see Sergei standing in the large arched doorway to the bedroom with a wolfish smile.

"You don't clean up too bad either in that tux," she replied looking over the younger man's form. Thick dark hair covered his head and his dark eyes were filled with amusement. Sergei was taller than most men and had an athletic built that included broad shoulders and a narrow, trimmed waist and hips. The first time she'd met Sergei in Moscow he'd told her that regardless of one's occupation, dressing well was required. Every time she met him since then he was always in expensive clothing that had been tailor perfectly to his form. Being the son of a Russian billionaire had perks and Poppy assumed Sergei enjoyed that money quite a bit if his gifts were anything to go by.

"Moy angel," he said as he walked towards her causally with a hand in his black dress pants pocket.

"I'm not angel Sergei. You know that."

"Ah, that's where we disagree. An angel you are. You just haven't gone to heaven yet milaya."

"Dear heart?" Poppy asked raising an eyebrow, "Your girlfriend is jealous right now I'd assume."

"What girlfriend?" Sergei said coming to stand behind her and bring his lips close to her ear, "She's a lgun and you are moye zoloto."

Poppy smiled and looked at the dress in the mirror. The dress was pleated blue with cording around the waist. It was sleeveless with openings under the arms that made a 'v' shape where her arms were. The back of the dress was completely open and extremely low cut in the front.

Sergei's hands went down over her hips to her hands. He clasped him within in his bigger ones and raised his dark brow.

"No wedding rings milaya?"

"He left me for another woman."

"Tsk. He's lost a stunning woman moy angel. Are you ready to go?"

"Go?"

"Don't think I'd made you get dressed up and then keep you to myself," Sergei grinned, "Women like you are meant to be shown off. I'd be a horrible man if I kept your beauty to myself but one thing before we go."

Sergei took out a black box from his pocket and smiled, "Happy Birthday moye zoloto."

Poppy smiled, "It's not for another two weeks."

"I won't be here for it," he told her with a smile as he opened the first box. He pulled out a large diamond pendent on the silver chain.

"May I?" Sergei asked with a smile.

Poppy watched as he put the necklace round her neck and attached the hook. The diamond lay between her beasts and the cold metal almost made her shiver.

"Perfection," Sergei told her softly, "I was right about everything."

"You always are Sergei," Poppy whispered, "Where are we going?"

* * *

McGee followed Tony and Ziva into Gibbs' kitchen. When Vance had called them on a Friday night asking to come to Gibbs' house, they had all been surprised. Gibbs was standing at the coffee pot and his kitchen table was scattered with pictures.

"What's up boss?" Tony asked picking up a picture and looking at it.

"Vance will be here in a moment. You're being in read into an operation," Gibbs replied without looking up, "This is about national security of the highest level."

"What kind of operation is this?" Ziva asked.

"The kind that is above top secret."

McGee felt his stomach drop at that phrase. Poppy had used that phrase before when she'd tried to explain things to him that she could explain.

"Above top secret?" Tony said, "Cool."

"Right now about eleven people know about this operation in the whole country and after tonight, fourteen people will know beyond that no one knows and it will be kept that way."

Vance knocked on the back door and walked in as he stuffed his phone in his pocket, "That was Noor. She's meeting with her contact over dinner apparently. She thinks that she might be a few days depending on how much information that Ivankov has."

"Did she say anything about what Ivankov will tell her?"

"No. She called from a suite at the Roosevelt Hotel. That's all she told me then hung up. She did tell me though that Sergei Ivankov and her go back years. Anything he gives us in person is extremely vital to our operation."

"What's Noor doing in New York?" Tony asked, "Why isn't here?"

"Poppy Noor has been the driving force and an asset to this operation," Vance replied, "She's meeting with a contact named Sergei Ivankov that may have information that can lead us to the recovery of Halo."

"What is Halo?" Ziva asked crossing her arms and leaning against a wall.

"Halo is a list of every undercover agent from around the world. Specifically the Middle East, Central America, Africa and South Asia. France has a similar list called the Principle as do the British. About a week ago Halo was stolen by a team of armed men. As of yet we don't know who they are but we believe that Jonathan Heritage is the head of this new terror organization."

"I've heard that name before," Tony said, "I asked Noor if she still was denying that she cheated on McGeek when she said Jonathan Heritage."

"You all better sit down," Vance said, "This will take time to explain."

"Start from the beginning," Ziva requested as she sat next to a pale McGee.

"Two years ago female Navy officer began to disappear. We didn't know who or why but all these woman had high clearance to sensitive information. A small task force was put together to find the woman. What was found instead was link between the woman. Jonathan Heritage. We inserted an agent into the situation to get close to Heritage. Noor's job was to collect information about the man, the girls and what was happening to them?"

"What information did she recover?"

"At the time we didn't know that some of the girls were tortured for secrets but we knew they were all sold into the sex trade. Noor recovered information that a seventeenth girl was going to be sold in Kabul. She and another agent went to intercept them when Heritage was identified with Ali Jericho, a financer for terror cells in the Middle East. That's when we realized that the sex trade was a rouse. Heritage's main business was selling American secrets to terrorist. Unfortunately, the operation went badly. Noor was tortured and she went off the grid for a month and a half. The Russian's tipped us off to where she was in Afghanistan but by the time we got to her, she had five bullets in her chest and Heritage was gone."

"Do we know where he's at Boss?"

"No. What we do know is that in the past few months, Heritage has been sneaking what we believe to be perspective buyers of this information in and out of the country."

"Why do you think that?"

"Every time he contacted Noor, a buyer snuck out of the country. Yuri Ezitka was the buyer we managed to catch on camera when Heritage visited Noor at a restaurant. The two other buyers are still unidentified but we're hoping with the information Noor gives us, we can track them down. However we are pressed for time. About a week ago, Heritage and Ali Jericho were photographed leaving a Swiss bank. It's believed that they put the stolen French and British lists in the bank and we hope that they will become arrogant and put Halo and the Russian secrets they will supposedly steal in one safety box."

"How did they know where Halo would be?"

"A mole. We will be taking care of it in a minute."

"What will our role be in all this?"

"Helping find the Halo and stopping Heritage from selling any of those lists."

* * *

Poppy tossed the silver beaded clutch that Sergei had given her to take to dinner on the same table that his letter had been on when she'd arrived. A champagne glass appeared in front of her and she smiled.

"Have we not had enough pleasure?" she asked picking up the glass.

"There's no such thing," Sergei told her as he walked over the safe that was in the bedroom, "Besides what I have to give you is champagne worthy. My hard work deserves a toast."

"You flatter yourself Sergei."

He laughed, "Everyone woman tells me that."

"It's true."

Sergei came back with a sim card, "You going to love me for this."

"What is it?" Poppy asked with a raised brow.

"A copy of Heritage's cell phone records," Sergei grinned.

"How?"

"A person in Heritage entourage is one of us. They got it."

"What's on it?"

"Three phone numbers. One belongs to-"

"Yuri Ezitka," Poppy finished for him as she took the sim card out of his hands.

"There is something else," Sergei continued as he took out a file from under his arm and put it on the table. Poppy turned and opened the file. Heritage was with a woman on the large veranda of a villa somewhere in the Mediterranean.

"The woman we cannot identify but contacts have told me that she's simply known as Ledi."

"The Lady? How original…do we have any Intel on her?"

"Not at the present moment. People around her don't live long once they've found out personal details about her. What we do know is that she's the head of a crime organization called The Ruka."

"The Hand? That's funny."

"Don't underestimate the power of her influence Poppy. Her organization is the biggest supplier to illegal arms dealing. The Hand came to power after the end of the USSR. Who do you think got most the weapons after the collapse? She did. She's been supplying most of the world with arms and foreign secrets. I believe that Heritage is working for her if not with her."

"Impressive Sergei," Poppy whispered.

"I try to be," he said softly as she turned away from a moment.

Poppy closed her eyes feeling Sergei's finger tips brush against her spine. Warmth pooled low in her belly. His fingertips travelled up her spine touching each dip and raise of her vertebrae. A rational part of her said that she should stop Sergei but another part of her wanted his touch. She wanted to be wanted by someone. It had been over a year since anyone had touched her the way Sergei would touch her…the way she wanted Sergei to touch her.

His hands moved to her shoulders and he slowly run his hands over her skin. Her brain screamed at her to stop the insanity that was about to happen but she wanted Sergei. They had always had a spark between them and she wanted to know if it could catch fire even if for one night only.

She set down the glass of wine and turned to look at him, "I can't do this."

"Yes you can moye zoloto," he countered, "What's stopping you? A husband? He's gone. No, you want me and I want you. We've wanted each other for a long time and here is our chance. Think of it. One night of forbidden passion is ours for the taking. Say it moye zoloto, say you don't want me and I'll leave for a separate room."

Poppy could feel herself fighting the idea. He was forbidden fruit. He was seven years younger than her and a spy for a country that she didn't fully trust. The agent in her screamed to take the sim card and run back to Washington as fast as she could so they could get the information they needed and the woman in her begged for Sergei fingers and his lips on her body.

"Say it Poppy," he whispered as his lips ghosted over her neck and shoulder, "Say you don't want me to touch you."

In that moment her will and resolve snapped. Her fingers twisted in his rich dark hair and his lips crashed into hers with a force that nearly knocked her off her feet. She didn't know how it happened but she quickly found herself being lowered onto the bed and Sergei's lips, fingers and tongue attacking her body with a passion that would have made her weak in the knees had she been standing.

Poppy pushed the world away and she let herself get lost in the moment Sergei had created.

* * *

Tim sat on Gibb's couch nursing the cup of coffee that he'd been drinking. The entire night had been crazy and he'd taken a break from trying to find the two other potential buyers that Heritage was interested in. The greatest revelation had been that Poppy had never lied to him. She'd been telling him the truth from the very beginning. Vance had spent hours going over every detail of the operation with them and explaining the details that Poppy had spent months putting together. She'd been the driving force behind everything. Her connections in the Middle East rivaled Ziva's and her connections from around the world made her a valued at asset at any agency. She'd taken her mother's network and improved. However there was one file that Gibbs had kept closed.

McGee looked at the cover of the file and knew what lay beneath it. Poppy had endured two months of torture for information that she had made sure she didn't know. In the end she'd taken five bullets to the chest in an attempt to make sure that any information she knew never reached the ears of her superiors.

She'd spent months alone in a military hospital in Germany and guilt flooded him. She'd called him and he'd never listened to the messages. He never bothered to figure out where she'd gone. He'd just assumed that she'd run off with the man in the pictures who now had a name. She'd spent weeks in pain and suffering all the while he'd been going on with his life thinking that she was off with the man somewhere. That she'd quit the working and was living off her trust fund.

Her breakdown weeks ago made sense. She'd been tortured and God only knew what had happened to her. She'd endured his bitter words knowing they weren't true and she'd been the one to figure out that Crystal was a spy. He'd read her reports and had seen the video tapes from the night he'd asked for a divorce. She'd chosen his life in exchange for a supposed lifetime of misery. She'd begged a terrorist for his life and in the end had been forced to do something she didn't want to do to keep him safe. She'd done it at his apartment too when Crystal had proven to be the distraction so that Heritage could call. The call had been recorded on her cell phone and he'd heard it. She'd left without hesitation and had run away as far as she could. McGee suddenly wished he could take back every word he'd ever said to her about the affair. He should have known that she would never do that. Poppy had her flaws but she was loyal to a fault.

Yes, the evidence against her had been damning with the photographs that had been sent but he should have trusted Poppy when she said that it was an operation. She was CIA then became NCIS. It was her job to collect information and he should have known that. He should have listened to her but he'd chosen to let an anonymous email taunt him and torment him instead of talking to his wife. Gibbs had told him earlier that the day he'd learned the truth was when Poppy had been forced to leave the apartment because she was willing to break all ethics and tell him the truth.

Everything had fallen apart and McGee felt like he was guilty for the breakdown of their relationship. He hadn't treated her the way he'd always promised himself he'd treat her lovingly no matter what and he hadn't done that at all. In fact he'd done the complete opposite. He'd treated her with scorn and hate. Opening the file, McGee felt nauseous when he saw the first picture.

Poppy had a black eyes and a swollen lip. Her cheek was cut and there were bruises around her neck. She was dressed in a hospital gown and sitting up in bed. She wasn't even looking in the camera but McGee could see that there was a dead look in her eyes that was haunting.

"Nothing good is going to come out reading that file McGee," Gibbs said as he walked in, "I would just close it."

"I can't do that," McGee said quietly, "She…she was tortured for weeks and I sat here at home. Going out on dates with Crystal and…she was fighting just to stay alive for one more day. She gave me the password to get into the system too. She told me one day to check and I…I thought she was lying. I was stupid and I've lost her because of it Gibbs. I know that the pictures and everything was convincing but I should…I should have dug deeper than just taking those pictures at face value. Now she's left and I've got a woman living with me who is using me to get American secrets and who is faking a pregnancy."

"Crystal will be taken care of soon. In the meantime there is something you can do McGee," Gibbs said, "You can go fight for Poppy to come back. If I remember right you still have that envelope with divorce papers on your desk. Throw them out and get back in the ring and fight for her. You have to prove that you love and trust her after everything that has happened because by every action you've done you've proved the exact opposite. It might turn out that Poppy meets someone else and falls in love McGee but I know that you won't let that happen without a fight to the very bitter end."

"She's not gonna forgive me after this Boss," McGee said dejectedly.

"You don't know that. She loves you and you love her. Yes, there is lots of crap between the two of you that you have to work out but it's not too late to try and make this work McGee."

"I don't know Gibbs."

"She married you right? She dated you right? She picked you out all the other guys in world and that should mean something to you. She has sat in this house and cried enough tears to fill my bathtub over you. She wouldn't cry over you if you didn't mean something to her. Show her McGee all the reasons why you love her and you two love each other. Just don't let her be the one that got away. Now go home and get some sleep."

McGee nodded and left without the file.

"I thought you told Noor to forget about him and move on," Vance said, "You told her to sign the papers and let him go."

"She's afraid that McGee hates her and doesn't love her anymore. He's afraid that she won't forgive him for the colossal mess that they're in. McGee needs to go after her and prove that he still loves her and doesn't hate her. It will make it easy for Noor to forgive him. Besides, chasing her will remind them both why they fell in love with each other."

"You're forgetting about a basic building block of any relationship. Trust Gibbs."

"I can't give them that but I can put them on the right path to getting that trust."

"I hope to hell you know what you're doing," Leon replied as he crossed his arms.

"So do I Leon," Gibbs replied watching McGee back out of his driveway.

* * *

Gibbs was sitting at his desk when his cellphone rang late Saturday morning.

"It's me," Noor said quickly, "We got it wrong!"

"What?" Gibbs said standing up quickly and snapping his fingers at McGee and DiNozzo, "Where are you?"

"Sergei and I just left the Roosevelt." Poppy said quickly as screams and sirens became background noise, "Sergei was able to get a copy of Heritage's sim card from his phone. He also had pictures of Heritage meeting with the leader of a crime organization based out of Kazakhstan. The leader is known as Ledi or the Lady."

"You think that Heritage is working with the organization?" Gibbs asked as he, McGee and DiNozzo went up the stairs to MTAC. They quickly got in and Gibbs put the phone on speaker phone, "We're tracking you now. Noor, do you think that Heritage is working for this organization?

"I don't know Gibbs but I do have the numbers for the other two people Heritage has been sneaking in and out of the US along with Yuri Ezitka. It's on the chip. I'm trying to get back to Washington but I'm pretty sure that I'm being followed Gibbs. The woman who gave me the key to my room yesterday was shot dead this morning at point blank range at the desk. The hotel has been evacuated but whoever shot her may know that I met with Sergei. I don't think they know what we exchanged Gi-"

The line was cut off by some kind of explosion and McGee felt his stomach drop.

* * *

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	10. Chapter Nine: Diet Mountain Dew

**Sorry for the delay! All Errors are my own:( Sorry!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Diet Mountain Dew**

"…_Diet Mountain Dew, baby, New York City  
Never was there ever a girl so pretty  
Do you think we'll be in love forever?  
Do you think we'll be in love?_

_Diet Mountain Dew, baby, New York City_  
_Never was there ever a girl so pretty_  
_Do you think we'll be in love forever?_  
_Do you think we'll be in love?_

_Baby, put on heart-shaped sunglasses_  
_'Cause we going to take a ride_  
_I'm not going to listen to what the past says_  
_I've been waiting up all night_

_Take another drag, turn me to ashes_  
_Ready for another lie?_  
_Says he's going to teach me just what fast is_  
_Say it's going to be all right_

_Hit me my darling tonight, I don't know why but I like it_  
_Gotta get back to the wild_  
_Give it up, give it up_  
_Live it up, live it up…"_

**~ "Diet Mountain Dew" – Lana Del Rey  
**

"Noor!" Gibbs called over the phone, "Report to me Noor!"

Screams could be heard and McGee held his breath waiting for her to answer. There was no way in hell that she could be dead. Things could not end like that. His mind began racing thinking of all the things he never got to say to her and his heart raced.

"This is Noor," she moaned in pain. Her voice sounded hoarse and her tone sounded confused.

"What happened?" Gibbs demanded.

"Car bomb," Poppy replied with a groan, "Ivankov is gone but I have the Sim card."

"We're sending agent to you. We need to see what's on that card," Gibbs told her as he looked at one of the tech people in MTAC, "Find her."

"I'll be at a safe house," she told them, "I have to go."

She disconnected the line and Tim let out the breath that he had been holding. Poppy was alive and breathing. That was all that mattered.

"McGee!"

"Yeah boss?" Tim asked trying to focus on Gibbs not his relief that his wife was alright.

"Go. Find Noor and make sure you get the information on that SIM card."

McGee nodded and left quickly realizing Gibbs was giving him a private moment to talk to her without the prying eyes of anyone.

* * *

It was late when he entered the safe house. The lights were off and Tim automatically took out his gun out of his holster. He barely made it to the kitchen when he felt a gun pressed against the back of his head.

"Who are you?"

McGee put his gun down and felt relief flood his veins. Her voice sounded strained like she was trying to hide something but it was Poppy.

"It's Tim," he said turning around to look at her.

The lights were flipped on and she dropped the gun she had been carrying. McGee looked at her with worry. She was holding her side and it was blood stained.

"What happened?" he asked her worriedly grabbing a towel off the counter.

"Pipe bomb went off. It's nice to see you too," she replied sarcastically as she walked back towards the bathroom ignoring the towel he offered her.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" he asked as he followed her, "I will take you there if you need to go."

Poppy turned around and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "I don't have a fantastic experience with hospitals. Besides, I've been through worse. This is a cut, nothing more."

"For a cut that's a lot blood," McGee shot back as he continued to follow her to the bathroom.

"Why the hell are you here?" Poppy asked as she picked up the sterilized needle on the counter in the bathroom.

"Gibbs sent me to get you."

"Why didn't you let Tony come?"

"Because we have to talk," McGee said watching her shoulders stiffen.

"About?" Poppy asked as she lifted her shirt.

"Everything, we've made horrible mistakes Poppy but-"

"Horrible mistakes?!" Poppy nearly yelled at him as she turned on her heel to look at him, "You think that's what these past years have been? I will tell you what they are! It's been torture! Agonizing torture! That's what it's been. Horrible mistakes my ass."

"And I'm sorry for everything I did," McGee interjected, "I didn't know and I'm so sorry for hurting you but I want to make-."

"Really? You're sorry?" she shot back as she slammed the needle down on the counter, "Jesus Tim!"

"I am sorry. Please let's just talk this through. Let's make this work because I don't want to lose you," McGee begged not knowing what else he could say to her that would bridge them together through the canyon they'd created.

"Lose me?" Poppy laughed bitterly, "Oh Tim…you lost me a long time ago. You lost me the moment you accused me of cheating. You lost me the moment you never called back when I was in Germany. You lost me a long time ago."

"I'm sorry Poppy for those things. I wish that I could go back and change everything that happened. I truly do," he told her sincerely not knowing what else he could say that would fix things between them.

"Do you know what it's like to wake up in a hospital bed alone?" she asked him angrily, "I had just spent months being tortured and had five bullets in my chest. I woke up expecting you to be there and instead I woke up to an empty room and learned that my husband thought that I'd run off with some guy. How in the hell do you justify that Tim? I loved you and I married what I thought was a good man but now? I don't even know you! The Tim that I married would have never had done any of those things!"

"You're right and I-"

"Saying that you're sorry doesn't change anything Tim!"

"Then let me change things," he told her softly as he cupped her cheeks and wiped away a tear, "Let me make things right or at least try to. You once told me that nothing could break us apart. I won't let this break us apart either. "

"I slept with my contact," she told him softly, "Last night at the Roosevelt."

In that moment McGee felt like someone had ripped the rug out from underneath him and he wondered if the flash of pain he felt was anything like the flash of pain Poppy felt seeing him with Crystal. He could choose to be angry with her but he knew that his anger wouldn't help the situation. He'd asked her for a divorce and she was free to make her own decisions. Besides, Poppy would call him on his own hypocrisy with Crystal if he became angry at her for sleeping with her contact.

"I-I-I don't have any right to be angry about that after what's happened with Crystal," he told her softly, "We've both hurt each other and I'm not going to hurt you anymore. That…isn't worth it."

Poppy jerked away from him and snorted, "How the lovely cheerleader that turned informant?"

"I'm not here to talk about her," McGee interjected, "I'm here to start fixing us and being with you no matter what. If we are going to split, which I don't want us too, I don't want it to be like this."

"Somehow I don't believe that Tim," she whispered as she leaned on the sink, "I don't believe you anymore. Don't do this to me or us. I signed those divorce papers and that's the end of it. Don't make this anymore painful than it already is."

"So were done, just like that?" McGee asked her.

"Just like that," Poppy answered as she walked past him.

"Poppy," Tim called to her as she walked down the hall. She turned and looked at him with exhausted eyes and slumped shoulders.

"What?" she asked still holding the needle and thread.

"I'm not giving up on you that easily. I did that once and it the worst mistake of my life. I won't let you walk away again," he told with a determined look on his face and in his heart.

Poppy gave him a sad smile, "I've already walked away Tim. You just haven't accepted that yet."

She left him standing in the doorway before he could reply but he followed her anyway to the kitchen. He watched her turn on the gas stove and held the needle over the flame. Gibbs' words finally made sense to him at that moment. He had to prove to Poppy that he loved her and trusted her.

Saying those words weren't the same as the action of them. If he wanted to be with Poppy he had to prove to her that it wasn't just about spoken words but a true, deep seeded desire with his actions. He'd done enough thinking the night he'd learned the truth about the truth to know that he wanted to fix things. He wasn't going to let anyone stand in between them. People around them had manipulated them, torn them apart and used them for a greater cause. They'd suffered enough heart aches to last a lifetime and he didn't want them to suffer anymore.

"I can help with that," he told her as he walked towards her.

"I don't need your help with this Tim," Poppy snapped back, "I need you to figure out what the hell is on that Sim card that I risked getting blown up for."

Poppy was seated next to him at the kitchen table looking at his laptop. The Sim Card didn't have much on it but three different phone numbers.

"That one is Yuri Ezitka's number," Poppy told him as she pointed at one number, "The other two numbers must be the potential buyers. One number is from the Russian Federation and the other looks like it is Algerian. I think the Russian federation maybe…"

She trailed off and Tim looked at her curiously, "What are you thinking?"

"Sergei told me last night about Heritage meeting with the leader of the Hand, an organization that specializes in illegal weapon sales. That Russian ID number maybe the direct line to the head of that organization who is known as the Lady. We have nothing on her other than that code name. We may have just hit the jackpot this time. Can you tag that number and find out where it's at?"

McGee quickly traced the call and pulled up a map, "The cell phone that the number matches with is on and just outside of Naples. Poppy picked up the picture that Sergei had given her and handed it to McGee.

"Meet the second person that Heritage has been smuggling out of the country, the leader of the organization known as the Hand in Europe and Asia. She's invisible practically. No name, no face and this is the only picture we have of her."

"The question is how she fits in with all of this," McGee said, "Do you think Heritage is selling to her?"

"No, I think Heritage is working with her. Her organization is one of the biggest organizations involved with the selling of foreign secrets and illegal arms dealing. He may be using her to get contacts or sell through her. What can you find out about the second number?" she asked.

McGee began typing away on the computer he'd brought with him and within minutes he was frowning.

"You have that look. What's wrong?" Poppy said as she leaned over to look at the screen.

"That number was deactivated four days ago," Tim said, "Whoever had it got rid of it. It looks like it was a prepaid burn phone."

"We have the Lady of the Hand. That should be enough to get us to whoever burned that number. Is there anything else on that phone?"

"Let me check," he replied and the kitchen sunk into silence as Tim typed away on his laptop. Her phone buzzed and Poppy looked at the screen.

"Crystal has been taken care of," Poppy announced to him quietly and he stopped typing.

"What?" McGee asked confused.

"Don't get too attached to her. When she fulfilled her purpose, Heritage got rid of her."

"We can bring her in and give her protection in exchange for information," Tim reasoned, "Her loyalties can be bought."

Poppy slid her phone across the table to him, "Timothy, she's dead."

McGee looked at the picture of a dead Crystal. She was hanging from the ceiling of the warehouse where she'd been killed by her arms and her head was nearly severed from her body as a result of her throat being slit. McGee pushed the phone back to Poppy as he focused back on the screen of his computer.

"She didn't deserve that," he said quietly.

"She betrayed her country and spied on her own government," Poppy snapped back, "She got what she deserved."

"No one deserves a violent death like that," McGee protested.

"We are the middle of one of the biggest intelligence breaches in the history of this country second only to Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames! That list contains the names of hundreds of agent who work for this country and are undercover! She worked with the men who stole that list! I'm on that list Timothy! My address! My name! Everything about me is on that list! What will happen when Heritage breaks the encryption? He will come after me and nowhere will be safe Tim, for anyone," she told him, "She betrayed all of those men and women the moment she took the money and started spying on us. She deserves none of your sympathy!"

Tim looked up, "The woman I married would have never said that."

"The woman you married wasn't tortured from her country only to learn that her husband was sleeping with a woman who worked with the man who tortured her. Forgive me if I don't have sympathy for her but I think I have every right to believe she got what she deserved," Poppy told him as she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest.

Tim stood up and walked to her. Poppy's shoulders were shaking as she hugged herself. His arms wrapped around her.

"We will get that list Poppy," he promised her softly as he held her close to him, "I swear to you we will."

Her arms tightened around his waist as she hugged him back and buried her face in chest. Tim closed his eyes and held her close. He wracked his mind trying to come up with the memory of the last time he'd held her like he was holding her. The last time he'd touched her in had been the night he'd slept with her but it wasn't loving or caring. No, the night he'd slept with her had angry almost violent sex. He'd wanted to punish her so much for everything but even then he'd loved her too much to truly hurt her.

The laptop beeped and Poppy jerked away from him quickly, "What did you find?"

Ignoring the sharp feeling of rejection, Tim went to his laptop and stopped.

"Impossible," he mumbled as he sat down.

"What?"

"It's a bank code," Tim said astonished at what he was looking at.

"It's a routing number," Poppy continued as she leaned over his shoulder, "That routing number is specific to the Swiss bank that Heritage was seen leaving. That's his bank code."

"I'll call Gibbs."

* * *

Gibbs had ordered them on the next flight to Zurich. Sitting on a long flight cramped into the small seats of coach wasn't McGee's fantasy. Poppy sat next to him with her eyes closed but he knew that she wasn't asleep. She'd called her contact on the way to the airport and even though the conversation had been one sided, something about hearing her talk to the man she'd had sex with hours ago made him feel an intense jealousy he'd never felt before.

"Relax," Poppy murmured, "I can feel your tension."

"This contact of yours we're meeting in Zurich…what's his…deal?" McGee asked trying not to sound jealous.

"His name is Sergei Ivankov. He works with Russian Intelligence. His father is former KGB."

"How does he contact you?"

Poppy gave a soft smile, "He knows I love classical books. He sends first and second editions of the classics with code in pages. When you hold up the pages to the lights, old Soviet codes are inked in specific pages. Break the code and I have the message but the only thing that changes between the books are the keys to breaking the codes in the pages. If we already used the codes that the US broke, the Soviet codes would literally be an open book to anyone."

"What do you do afterwards with the messages and books?" he asked looking at her.

Poppy smiled and turned her head to look at him, "A woman must always keep her secrets."

"So that means you'll never tell me," Tim concluded as he rested his head back and closed his eyes.

"If something happens to me then you'll know."

He opened his eyes and looked at her with surprise, "Nothing is going to happen to you."

Poppy gave him a gentle smile that made his heart nearly skip a beat, "We're playing a most dangerous game Tim. People die in this game. There is no do over. If something happens to me, you will know what to do. Just because I die doesn't mean that you stop hunting for the bad guys."

"Tell me more about Ivankov," Tim said changing the subject, "Is he the contact you slept with?"

"Don't ask question you don't want answers to Tim."

"So you did."

"It was one night. Nothing more, nothing less," Poppy told him as she looked away, "Our marriage is being dissolved. It doesn't matter what I do in bed with others. It's not your concern."

"You're my wife and therefore it is my concern."

"At this moment your concern should be on retrieving that goddamned list, not who my playmate was two days ago," she said sharply as she looked at him.

"This conversation isn't over with," Tim told her with his own sharpness.

"Yes it is. What I do with others isn't your concern."

"I beg to differ."

"Listen to me Elflord, I don't give a damn what you think about him or anything else for that matter. Our goal is to work with Sergei to get those lists back. Period. That means you're not allowed to say or do anything that goes beyond the realm of being professional with him," Poppy snapped back.

They stared at each other with narrowed eyes until a cell phone ring broke the tense air and McGee looked at his phone.

"Talk to me Abs," he said, "I've got about ten minutes till we begin landing…"

* * *

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